If you’ve ever lifted the hood of your vehicle after you’ve driven it for a while, you know how hot your engine gets. To prevent your vehicle’s engine from overheating, the radiator sends coolant through it and keeps it at a constant temperature. However, if the radiator malfunctions and the engine overheats, you could be looking at major (and expensive) repairs. Know the warning signs that your car needs a radiator repair to avoid a more serious situation.
Your Car Overheats
This is, of course, the most obvious sign of a radiator issue, and if your engine is overheating, you need to stop driving it immediately and allow it to cool down. The sign of an overheated engine is white steam pouring from under the hood. If you continue driving while your car is overheating, you could cause the engine to seize or the piston to melt and fuse with the cylinder, meaning you’ll need a new engine.
Your Temperature Gauge Climbs
On your dashboard instrument panel, there’s a temperature gauge that typically indicates your engine’s temperature is about midway between cold and hot after your car has warmed up. It should never climb above the middle unless something is wrong. If your temperature gauge needle is climbing toward the hot end of the gauge – get your radiator inspected immediately. You might just need more coolant, but you don’t want to cause any permanent damage by driving it while overheated.
Your Radiator Shows Signs of Rust
The radiator in your car is made of metal, so if it comes into prolonged contact with moisture, it will rust. If you see rust on your radiator, it’s possible that there is a leak in the radiator hose or in the radiator itself. The leak allows the coolant to squirt out of the hole and onto the radiator. Even though the fluid will burn off quickly due to the heat, it will leave moisture spots that will rust.
You See Colorful Fluid Leaking From Your Car
Coolant is usually brightly colored, so if you notice a bright green, yellow, or pink fluid under your car, you probably have a coolant leak. Again, this could be from the radiator hose or the radiator itself, but it needs to be addressed before all your coolant leaks out and your car overheats. Not only this, but coolant is what prevents your engine from freezing up in the winter – so it’s not just something that’s important in hot weather.
Your Coolant Levels Are Low
You should be checking your coolant level (and that of other fluids) regularly, which can alert you of problems if the level is low. While you’ll see a pool of colorful fluid on the ground if you have an external leak, the only indication of an internal coolant leak is a lower-than-normal level of coolant. Add an adequate amount of coolant to your radiator, but also bring it in to a service center soon to find and repair the leak.
These five signs of a radiator problem will give you an early indication that you need to get your vehicle into a service center right away for a radiator inspection. If you’ve noticed any of these issues, contact Fox Acura of El Paso for an appointment and we’ll get you back on the road in no time!
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