What can I do if my coolant leak is not obvious?
Sometimes when a coolant leak is not obvious you must create pressure inside the system to force the leak to appear. This is done using a cooling system pressure tester which you can get from Amazon for about $55.00 (US).
What causes coolant to leak from an engine?
The coolant system consists of rubber hoses, gaskets and seals which are subject to engine heat and vibration which in time can cause these items to fail and start leaking antifreeze. With some minor troubleshooting you can find where the leak is coming from to see if you can fix it yourself or have a repair garage do it for you.
Is there a common coolant leak spot on passenger side rear?
Also, that little plastic clip doesn’t seem like it would be enough to hold the pressure from the system. There is a tool that looks like an “L”-shaped, 2-prong fork that slides over those firewall fittings which releases the clips and provides a way to pull the hoses off.
How does a water pump keep coolant from leaking?
A water pump is mounted to the engine block or timing chain cover and is designed to circulate coolant throughout the radiator, engine block and cylinder heads. A main shaft seal is used to prevent coolant from leaking from the pump housing. When the water pump seal fails it allows a leak from the pump’s weep hole which is seen in the image below.
What should I do if coolant is leaking from my car?
If your vehicle is losing coolant, you need to determine where it’s leaking from and how fast it’s leaking—and then fix it or get it fixed. The engine’s cooling system is complex and has many parts. A coolant leak could be as cheap and simple to repair as tightening a loose clamp on one of the system’s several hoses—something you can do yourself.
Is it normal for coolant to leak from Radiator?
If your vehicle’s radiator has one, you may notice a leak in front of your engine. Coolant leaks are serious business any time of the year. That is, even though coolant is commonly called antifreeze, it is essential year-round. Therefore, if you have a car leaking coolant, you must take the leak seriously.
Also, that little plastic clip doesn’t seem like it would be enough to hold the pressure from the system. There is a tool that looks like an “L”-shaped, 2-prong fork that slides over those firewall fittings which releases the clips and provides a way to pull the hoses off.
Can a hot coolant leak cause a burn?
You must be careful when checking fluid levels, though. If the engine is not completely cool before you remove the radiator cap, you may suffer a serious burn from escaping steam or hot coolant. Therefore, you should never open the radiator cap or the coolant reservoir when your car’s engine is hot.