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