Why, you might ask, am I writing about automotive cooling
systems?
Simple--I won this book as an Early Reviewer copy at Library
Thing, and I'm supposed to write a review.
I am not being paid for this review except for receiving the free book.
Our school has an HVAC-R program, which is not automotive,
but a good understanding of this wouldn't hurt anyone either, so I'm donating
it to the school library.
The actual review:
The cover doesn't do justice to the contents. It is
beautiful inside, practically a work of art. There are tons of color photos and
illustrations that demonstrate things like coolant flow, wiring harness and
relays, and radiator design. The
explanations seem very clear. I'm looking
at page 47, where, after descriptions of possible radiator problems, there is a
step-by-step guide to Flushing the Cooling System. I feel like I could do this, if I just had a
place.
And did you know that the coolant tank where you can put in
anti-freeze is actually called an expansion tank? (p. 92) Heat expands liquid,
so the expansion tank is vented to allow the air to flow in and out, allowing
room for the hot liquid. It also stores extra to be available to your cooling
system. But this explains why it has a
fill line not to go over--so it doesn't burst hot liquid all over your engine
compartment. (I am not copying from the
book, just explaining what I know about it.
But if I didn't already know, the book offers good explanations.)
There's a great explanation (p. 75) of how air is directed
through the grill to go through the radiator and not around it in all
directions. I never thought of that,
that something has to block the sides to keep it from going the easier path of
around the radiator instead of through it.
If you have any interest in cars, I would recommend this book
as a great place to learn about the hows and whys of cooling the engine. It is
probably too simple for the pros, but would be a good tool in an auto shop
class or for the do-it-yourself or beginning auto hobbyist.
