Cooling System Description and Operation Gasoline

The cooling system maintains the engine temperature at an efficient level during all engine operating conditions. When the engine is cold, the cooling system cools the engine slowly or not at all. This slow cooling of the engine allows the engine to warm up quickly.

The cooling system includes the following components:

The timing belt drives the coolant pump.

All components must function properly in order for the cooling system to operate. The coolant pump draws the coolant from the radiator. The coolant then circulates through water jackets in the engine block, the intake manifold, and the cylinder head. When the coolant reaches the operating temperature of the thermostat, the thermostat opens. The coolant then goes back to the radiator where it cools.

This system directs some coolant through the hoses to the heater core. This provides for heating and defrosting. The surge tank is connected to the radiator to recover the coolant displaced by expansion from the high temperatures. The surge tank maintains the correct coolant level.

The cooling system for this vehicle has no radiator cap or filler neck. The coolant is added to the cooling system through the surge tank.

This vehicle has a lightweight tube-and-fin aluminum radiator. Plastic tanks are mounted on the right and the left sides of the radiator core.

On vehicles equipped with automatic transaxles, the transaxle fluid cooler lines run through the left radiator tank. A radiator drain cock is on this radiator.

To drain the cooling system, open the drain cock.

The surge tank is a transparent plastic reservoir, similar to the windshield washer reservoir.

The surge tank is connected to the radiator by a hose and to the engine cooling system by another hose. As the vehicle is driven, the engine coolant heats and expands. The portion of the engine coolant displaced by this expansion flows from the radiator and the engine into the surge tank. The air trapped in the radiator and the engine is degassed into the surge tank.

When the engine stops, the engine coolant cools and contracts. The displaced engine coolant is then drawn back into the radiator and the engine. This keeps the radiator filled with the coolant to the desired level at all times and increases the cooling efficiency.

Maintain the coolant level between the MIN and the MAX marks on the surge tank when the system is cold.

The belt-driven centrifugal water pump consists of an impeller, a drive shaft, and a belt pulley. The water pump is mounted on the front of the transverse-mounted engine, and is driven by the timing belt.

The impeller is supported by a completely sealed bearing.

The water pump is serviced as an assembly and, therefore, cannot be disassembled.

A wax pellet-type thermostat controls the flow of the engine coolant through the engine cooling system. The thermostat is mounted in the thermostat housing to the front of the cylinder head.

The thermostat stops the flow of the engine coolant from the engine to the radiator in order to provide faster warm-up, and to regulate the coolant temperature. The thermostat remains closed while the engine coolant is cold, preventing circulation of the engine coolant through the radiator. At this point, the engine coolant is allowed to circulate only throughout the heater core to warm it quickly and evenly.

As the engine warms, the thermostat opens. This allows the engine coolant to flow through the radiator, where the heat is dissipated through the radiator. This opening and closing of the thermostat permits enough engine coolant to enter the radiator to keep the engine within proper engine temperature operating limits.

The wax pellet in the thermostat is hermetically sealed in a metal case. The wax element of the thermostat expands when it is heated and contracts when it is cooled.

As the vehicle is driven and the engine warms, the engine coolant temperature increases. When the engine coolant reaches a specified temperature, the wax pellet element in the thermostat expands and exerts pressure against the metal case, forcing the valve open. This allows the engine coolant to flow through the engine cooling system and cool the engine.

As the wax pellet cools, the contraction allows a spring to close the valve.

The thermostat begins to open at 87°C (189°F) and is fully open at 102°C (216°F). The thermostat closes at 86°C (187°F).

Caution: An electric fan under the hood can start up even when the engine is not running and can injure you. Keep hands, clothing and tools away from any underhood electric fan.

Caution: If a fan blade is bent or damaged in any way, do not repair or reuse the damaged part. Always replace a bent or damaged fan blade. Fan blades that have been damaged can not be assured of proper balance and could fail and fly apart during subsequent use. This creates an extremely dangerous situation.

The cooling fans are mounted behind the radiator in the engine compartment. The electric cooling fans increase the flow of air across the radiator fins and across the condenser on air condition-equipped vehicles. This helps to speed cooling when the vehicle is at idle or moving at low speeds.

The main fan size is 300 mm (11.8 in) in diameter with 5 blades to aid the air flow through the radiator and the condenser. An electric motor attached to the radiator support drives the fan.

Air conditioning (A/C) models have 2 fans:

The auxiliary fan is 300 mm (11.8 in) in diameter. Non-air conditioned models have only the main fan.

A/C OFF or Non-Air Conditioned Model, 1.4L/1.6L Engine -- North America

A/C OFF or Non-Air Conditioned Model, 1.4L/1.6L Engine -- European and Non-European

A/C OFF or Non-Air Conditioned Model, 1.8L Engine

A/C ON, 1.4L/1.6L Engine -- North America

A/C ON, 1.4L/1.6L Engine -- European and Non-European

A/C ON, 1.8L Engine -- North America

A/C ON, 1.8L Engine -- European and Non-European

The vehicle is designed to accept an engine block heater that helps to warm the engine and to improve starting in cold weather. It also can help to reduce fuel consumption while a cold engine warms up.

The engine block heater is located under the intake manifold and uses an existing expansion plug for installation.