An cooling system and method for a work vehicle in which atmospheric air is pre-cleaned prior to flowing it over a heat exchanger and then exhausted back into the surrounding atmosphere. At least one fan draws atmospheric air having particulate content into at least one pre-cleaner where the atmospheric air is pre-cleaned to produce pre-cleaned air with a reduced particulate content. The pre-cleaned air is then drawn into a chamber, flowed over or through the heat exchanger contained in the chamber, and exhausted from the chamber to the surrounding atmosphere. The fluid in the heat exchanger is cooled as the pre-cleaned air flows through or over the heat exchanger.