![]() ![]() That captured fluid then flows to the overflow tank.Ĭheck out this simple diagram to better understand how a typical cooling system works with a radiator overflow tank. ![]() Typically, a tube near the radiator’s cap collects the expanding fluid that doesn’t fit inside the primary cooling system. The radiator overflow tank lives near the top of the radiator. ![]() Where Is the Radiator Overflow Tank in a Car? A radiator overflow tank allows the pressurized cooling system a little bit of extra room so that when the heated fluid expands, there is enough space for it, and nothing overflows or breaks. When the fluid in the cooling system gets hot, it expands, just like when a pot of water on your stove at home gets hot and overflows. By the time the fluid cycles through the radiator, a portion of the heat has dissipated. The cooling system on a car uses fluid to transfer the engine’s heat to a radiator, where fresh air interacts with the heated fluid. What You Should Do if You Notice a Faulty Overflow Tank.Symptoms of a Faulty Radiator Overflow Tank.How Full Should Radiator Overflow Tank Be?.What Size Radiator Overflow Tank Do You Need?.How Does the Overflow Work on a Radiator?.Where Is the Radiator Overflow Tank in a Car?.But a surge tank needs to be the highest thing in the system so gravity will allow the chilling coolant to drain from the tank back into the main system. Since the expansion tank is operating on a pressure differential between the inside of the cooling system and the atmosphere or it's own internal pressure, it doesn't depend on height above the rest of the cooling system to empty. The surge system may place this two way cap on the tank so that forms a return loop to the expansion tank which is there just-in-case this thing gets fried and has to blow off excess coolant somewhere besides on the ground. Both vented or unvented expansion tank systems require the radiator cap to have a two way valve so the vented coolant can flow back as the engine cools. It's just whatever amount of coolant is vented to the expansion tank that is not necessarily pressurized as many of these vent to atmosphere. In both systems they are fully pressurized when operating. The larger radiator would increase aero drag and reduce fuel efficiency. The expansion tank in an otherwise identical operating situation for the vehicle would require a larger radiator to contain the same amount of expanded coolant after the excess was vented to the expansion tank. This is important to modern designed vehicles where the OEM is trying to reduce aero drag to achieve better fuel consumption numbers. The surge tank allows a smaller radiator to be used as the expanded volume of hot coolant is not lost to circulation but is available to the system. ![]() Well actaully air pressure if the expansion tank is vented to the atmosphere or if not vented the compressed air above the fluid puhes the vented coolant back into the radiator so that the system's cold volume is maintained. It sounds like you've plumbed an expansion tank which will simply catch the increased volume of the hot coolant and hold it off to the side till the system cools off enough to allow the radiator caps return valve to open and draw that excess back in. When the engine is cold the surge tank should be empty, but the radiator will be full. The advantage of this is to keep the expanded volume within the cooling system doing cooling work instead of lazing off in an expansion tank. the tank is simply a means of keeping the fluid in reserve for the cooling system when it cycles back to cold and keeps the overflow off the ground.Ī surge tank is positioned higher than the rest of the cooling system to allow for hot coolant expansion without necessarily burping to an expansion tank, although one will be present. But let's split these up.Īn expansion tank simply accumulates excess coolant which gains volume when it heats up. Actaully system pressurization is not dependant upon the expansion or surge tank design. ![]()
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