4 Coolant Leak Symptoms and How to Resolve Them

Engine coolant is a special mixture of water, glycol, and additives such as lubricants and rust inhibitors. Your vehicle needs coolant to regulate the temperature of the engine.

Without the coolant, your engine could overheat and become permanently damaged. The coolant also keeps the engine at the right temperature for optimal fuel economy. If your engine is too hot or too cold, your vehicle will consume more fuel.

A coolant leak can lead to big problems in your engine, so it’s important that you keep an eye out for them and take action as quickly as possible if you notice the signs of a leak. Here are four symptoms of a coolant leak with some information on how these issues would need to be resolved:

White Smoke

Most people know that smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe is a sign of trouble. But most people don’t know what the smoke means. If you have white smoke coming out of your exhaust, it’s a sign that you might have an engine leak. Other causes of white smoke from the exhaust can include a cracked block, cracked cylinder head, or head gasket failure. Any of these things can cause the coolant to be forced into an engine cylinder.

Unfortunately, there’s not anything you can do about any of these issues yourself. If you see white smoke, you need to bring your vehicle to a repair shop so a mechanic can diagnose and repair the problem.

Overheating Engine

Since the coolant is designed to stabilize the temperature of the engine, and overheating engine is a strong sign that you have a coolant leak. You may know that your engine is overheating because the temperature gauge is moving into the red, you get a warning light on your dash, or you see steam or smoke coming from under your hood.

You can check the coolant levels yourself, but make sure you give the engine time to cool down first. Otherwise, you could get a flash of steam or liquid shoot out into your face or on your arm, burning you severely. If the level is low, add more coolant and then take your car to a mechanic for an inspection.

Bubbling Radiator

When coolant is leaking out and the engine starts overheating, the radiator might start bubbling because combustion gasses are being pushed into the coolant system. Besides a coolant leak, other things that can cause this include a cracked head gasket, engine, or head.

Before you start adding up potential repairs, you need to know what the problem really is. Take your vehicle into a mechanic to get to the root of the problem and know what you have to repair.

Visible Leaks

You should park your car on a driveway or other flat pavement every day in the same spot if you can. By doing that, you can get a visual sign if you have any kind of a leak, including a coolant leak. You can recognize a coolant leak by red, pink, green, or blue puddles under your vehicle.

Hopefully, you just have a look hose or gasket that is causing your leak, and it can be repaired quickly and easily. But the only way to know the problem for sure is to take the vehicle to a qualified mechanic for an inspection of the coolant system.

Sticking to the proper car maintenance schedule for your vehicle will help you prevent cooling leaks, as will making repairs as soon as you know they are necessary. You should also be vigilant about looking for signs of a problem with your cooling system and reporting them to your mechanic as soon as possible.

Scottsdale Muffler and Automotive is a trusted Tempe repair shop that works on a wide variety of vehicle makes and models. We offer routine car maintenance services, as well as car repair. Our mechanics specialize in exhaust repairs, but they are trained to perform a wide variety of repairs. We price our services affordably, and we are committed to providing the highest quality of workmanship. We have been in business for over 20 years, and we have numerous 5-star reviews from our loyal customers. Call us today to schedule an estimate for your vehicle.

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