| An engine cooling system is an important component | | | | air-cooled vehicles who use metal fins covering the |
| when a internal combustion engines used in vehicles. | | | | outside of the engine's cylinder to increase the surface |
| Early VW engines, particularly the early incarnations of | | | | are for air to flow through. Radiators, typically located |
| the iconic VW Beetle, used an air-cooled system. In a | | | | behind the car's grill, acts as heat exchanger and is |
| nutshell, the system works by dissipating thermal | | | | connected to channels that traverse through the |
| energy into the air directly. However, after the second | | | | cylinder head and the engine. A device called the |
| World War, most VW vehicles have adapted | | | | thermostat allows the coolant to circulate at a certain |
| liquid-cooled principle and continue to do so at present. | | | | temperature by opening valves that releases the |
| This is due to the fact that air-cooled engines have | | | | heated liquid to the radiator. At this point in time, the |
| fallen out of favor for most car manufacturers, | | | | heat in the liquid is spread out via the air drawn in by |
| because minimizing emissions and engine noise has | | | | the forward motion of the vehicle, augmented by a |
| proven to be too difficult in air-cooled system. | | | | fan. It is important to note that VW radiators vary in |
| Air-cooling is still used in airplane engines, however, | | | | size, this all depends on the model and size of the |
| wherein the disadvantages are not that noticeable. | | | | engine and vehicle, which in turn affects the ability of |
| The difference between the two applications goes | | | | the radiator to handle extreme conditions that will the |
| beyond the medium in which heat is dispersed. In fact, | | | | engine in question will undergo. This does not however, |
| the liquid-cooled principles borrows an application from | | | | mean that the radiator is exempt from damage over |
| its air-cooled counterpart. Liquid-cooled engines of VW | | | | time or use. Coolant leaking can cause the cooling |
| vehicles use coolants (commonly a mixture of water | | | | system to be less effective or fail entirely. As with any |
| and antifreeze, but other liquids have been known to | | | | other car component, proper maintenance and care is |
| be used), air is still needed in the process to cool the | | | | highly encouraged, as overheating problems can cause |
| liquid itself. Another main difference is in the weight, | | | | more damage to the engine itself, prompting for a |
| with VW radiators, as well as other radiators of | | | | more expensive endeavor. At the event of the worse |
| different makes for that matter, liquid-cooled engines | | | | case scenario, VW radiators are readily available in |
| are a lot heavier compared to air-cooled engines. One | | | | various shops that specialize in VW vehicles. The |
| the other hand, the liquid-cooled principle has noticeably | | | | world wide web has also become a reliable source for |
| higher specific heat capacity, density and thermal | | | | such transactions, with the added security brought |
| conductivity. This is due to the fact that liquid, | | | | about by latest technologies. Either way, the necessity |
| particularly water, can transfer heat farther and with | | | | far outweighs economy when considering radiator |
| less volumetric flow. At the heart of liquid-cooled | | | | replacements. |
| vehicles is the radiator, which are obviously absent in | | | | |