Radiators and Tanks
The radiator in your Duramax-equipped diesel truck will be the most vital component of your cooling system. The radiator is responsible for extracting heat from the coolant in your engine and sending it back into your engine once cooled. Radiators can fail over time, causing overheating issues and coolant leaks. Merchant Automotive has everything you need to replace or upgrade your Duramax radiator to have your truck cooling efficiently again.
The radiator in your Duramax truck is located at the front of your truck so that it can utilize incoming air to help cool your truck’s coolant. The radiator is an aluminum or thin steel component that allows for coolant to flow through it and cool by passing through the rows of the radiator. These rows are equipped with heat dissipation fins that use the incoming air to extract heat from the coolant. This cooler coolant goes back into your engine to help keep your Duramax cool in the hotter months and warm in the colder months.
What Are The Benefits Of Duramax Larger Aluminum Radiator?
The standard radiator your Duramax is equipped with from the factory is excellent for most light-duty and non-performance driving. It will handle just about anything you can throw at it except for high-performance driving or larger-than-average towing capacities. If you plan on using your Duramax for performance-style driving or you plan on towing larger capacities more often than the average user, upgrading to a larger aluminum radiator can ensure that you are getting maximum cooling benefits. Larger 3-core radiators can flow more coolant than factory radiators, allowing for better heat dissipation and quicker cooling times. This is perfect for high-performance driving where engine temperatures may be greater than light-duty use.
How Often Should I Flush My Duramax Radiator & Cooling System?
Flushing your Duramax’s coolant system will provide you with years of worry-free operation as you will be flushing out contaminants and old coolant that can harm your cooling system components. As a rule of thumb, most vehicles should have their coolant system flushed every 30,000 miles or every 5 years, whichever comes first.
How Do I Keep My Duramax Cool?
Keeping your Duramax cool means that you will need to keep your cooling system properly maintained. The factory Duramax cooling system will do a great job keeping your factory and lightly-modded Duramax engines cooled for proper functionality. Once you start getting into higher performance builds or more modifications, you may need to upgrade to performance cooling modifications to help keep your truck cooler with the extra coolant demand. For most Duramax owners, simply keeping an eye out for leaks, worn-out components, and signs of failing cooling components will ensure that your Duramax runs as cool as it needs.
Why Is My Duramax Running Hot?
If you notice that your Duramax is running a little hot, this can be determined by the temperature gauge on the dash. If this is the case, there are a few areas you need to check. One of the first things you can do is check the coolant level in the coolant reservoir. If this is low, you can add coolant and see if this helps to remedy the problem. You should also check for leaks under your truck to see if you lose coolant from a leaking hose or radiator. If your coolant level seems fine, you may have a stuck closed thermostat. A closed thermostat will not allow coolant to flow through your engine and properly cool your Duramax. While a little less common, you may have blockages in your radiator that restrict coolant flow through your system.
