![]() ![]() Most people understand they need to add more coolant if the level is low. Next, make sure your coolant level is correct. If you’re unsure, one of our mechanics can give you our recommendation for your specific make and model. Most vehicle manufacturers recommend having your coolant system professionally flushed every 30,000 miles or five years. It’s like an oil change for your cooling system. You can prevent this by regularly flushing the system and adding clean coolant. Tiny particles of stone can get into your radiator and then into your coolant, which causes corrosion. Here are some maintenance tips to prevent leaking.įirst, keep your coolant clean. However, a major coolant leak in the radiator means that you may need a new radiator. If your fluid leak is minor, we can repair it. Although coolant does help prevent radiator corrosion, it can’t stop all leaks. Remember, the coolant cycles through the radiator to lose heat it collected in the engine.Ĭorrosion is the main cause of radiator fluid leaks. Typically, if the head gaskets look normal, the problem is in the radiator. If you do see a coolant leak under your car, it could be from a blown head gasket, but it could also be from a number of other problems. Radiator Leaks can Cause Coolant Problems When you bring in your car for any service, we can check all fluid levels to ensure nothing is amiss. Regular maintenance is the best way to prevent your engine from overheating. Our experienced team of mechanics can also do routine oil changes as needed. We’ll flush out and replace the fluids in your car after we complete the repair. Either way, you’ll need an oil change once we repair the head gasket. The fluids may also leak out of your car altogether. Just because you don’t see any leaks under your car doesn’t mean you don’t have an internal leak.Ī blown head gasket will cause the coolant and oil to mix together, which is what causes the oil to have a milky color. This can also happen if your engine oil levels are too low. In addition to leaks, your coolant level may simply be too low, which can cause overheating. Head gaskets blow when the engine overheats, so sometimes there is an antifreeze leak elsewhere in the system that starts this chain reaction of events. We’ll check the entire cooling system to figure out the problem. When in doubt, bring your vehicle in as quickly as possible. There are bubbles in the radiator and coolant reservoir.Your coolant levels drop, indicating a coolant loss, even though you don’t see any leaks under the car.You check the oil and it has a milky color.Your car’s dashboard indicates sub-par levels of cooling, even if you don’t see any fluids leaking.Here are some signs that you have a blown head gasket: Never drive around with a blown head gasket. A blown head gasket can cause a number of problems with your cooling system. If you have a coolant leak, the first thing we’ll check is the head gasket. However, its main function is to keep your engine cool Blown Head Gaskets – A Common Reason Your Car is Leaking Antifreeze It also helps you tell the different antifreeze options apart from one another.Ĭoolant does have a secondary benefit, which is that it provides lubrication. The coloring helps you distinguish it from water, since antifreeze is extremely poisonous. Some manufacturers use pink/red, blue, yellow, or other coloring for antifreeze formulas with different additives. Green and orange are the traditional colors and most common. Therefore, you can drive your car, even in the dead of winter.Īntifreeze is a glycol-based liquid and usually colored by manufacturers. By mixing coolant with water, it can withstand temperatures well below zero. So, if you live here in North Carolina or many other locations in the United States, you have to worry about the water freezing during the winter. ![]() Water works really well to keep your engine cool, but it has a pretty high freezing point compared to other fluids. Essentially, this pulls heat away from the engine so it doesn’t overheat. When it is in the engine, the liquid collects heat, and while in the radiator, the liquid cools. A pump pushes coolant through the engine block, then out to the radiator. The cooling system in your vehicle works to prevent your engine from overheating. When coolant mixes with water (typically in a 50-50 ratio), it becomes “engine coolant” or simply “coolant.” This fluid helps your engine stay at a steady temperature. ![]() What is Antifreeze?Īntifreeze is one of the many fluids your vehicle needs to operate properly. Here at Kernersville Auto Center, we can help you diagnose and repair any coolant system leak. ![]() However, an antifreeze leak is not one of those problems! It is vital that you have a professional take cake of any cooling system leak as soon as possible. Sometimes, you can put off car maintenance for a few days or even a few weeks. If your vehicle is leaking antifreeze, do not ignore the problem. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |