Don't Forget the Cooling System! Palmer AK

To ensure all damage is diagnosed in a front-end collision, technicians need to conduct a thorough inspection of the cooling system.

By Bob Leone
7/1/1998

Early film versions of the Titanic saga depicted the mayhem that resulted from the mistakes made during the vessel's maiden voyage. For its time, Titanic was well-designed. And though the latest romantic depiction of the ship's fate might lead you to believe otherwise, many experts contend that the damage could have been managed had the true extent of the problem been realized immediately.

Too often, today's collision repair shops work off a similar assumption - that a bird's-eye view of mechanical and other related systems is all that's required to solve the problem and get the vehicle out the door. One area that frequently suffers from this assumption is the automotive cooling system.

Cooling-System Concerns
The single biggest concern techs have when repairing a head-on or front-impact collision is re-establishing control points and establishing correct datum lines. Often, a core support is repaired when it should be replaced because it will be well-hidden behind grillwork, the condenser and other assorted hardware. The problem with this is that the radiator, as well as other sensitive components, may be placed under tension and eventually develop leakage. (Radiator core and other post-collision-related leaks can be the No. 1 killer of multi-valve aluminum-construction engines.)

The Automotive Service Asso...