What Should You Do If Your Car Radiator Is Leaking?

Most people’s car is the second most expensive item they own next to their home and it is important to take care of it. At the first sign of a problem it only makes sense to have it looked at. When your radiator is playing up the experts in air conditioning on The Gold Coast are there to help and advise you.

If you are caught with a leaking radiator there are a number of things you can do:

First, you need to find the leak and how bad it is. If you are losing lots of coolant, then it’s not safe to drive. If it’s a minor leak, then you can make some temporary repairs that will enable you to get home or to a repair shop.

Your vehicle’s radiator becomes very hot and pressurized so it is very hazardous to work on and should be left until it cools down. In an emergency it is possible to cool down the radiator by pouring cold water over it to draw off the heat. One advantage of this is that you are in effect washing the radiator so it becomes easier to see any leaks or damage once it dries.

It is wise to wear eye protection when working on or under a vehicle and gloves can protect your hands.

If you cannot locate any leaks when the engine is not running it may mean that you only have a slight leak that happens when the pressure builds up as it heats when going to start the engine and observe the radiator and hoses to find the leak.

There are many products available to help fix minor leaks, commercial leak sealants can work if available, but should not be considered a permanent repair.

Cracks in the Radiator

If there are visible cracks your radiator, often they can be fixed using radiator crack repair. This requires the area to be clean, dry and cool to get a good seal, follow the directions for best results.

Using egg yolks to seal a small leak

This method is tried and true for very small holes over short distances, but is defiantly not a permanent repair. Often it will allow you to get moving again safely.

Allow the radiator to cool down completely and fill full of clean water.

Separate three or four egg yolks from the white and mix them together, then pour the yolk into the radiator and run the engine until heated. The yolks will congeal and clog the holes. Do not replace the pressure cap and drive carefully to the nearest repair shop or an auto air conditioning center on the Gold Coast

Black Pepper

Although it sounds unlikely black pepper is another good thing to use for an emergency radiator repair.

Once your engine has cooled replace any missing water and add half can of ground black pepper directly into your radiator. This will seal any small holes, cracks or other leaks temporarily.

Making temporary repairs may help you get home or to the repair shop but it is important to be aware that if your vehicle overheats excessively it can cause expensive damage so it is advisable to try and get it fixed properly as soon as possible

Currumbin Radiators deliver the best service to keep your vehicle cool and well maintained by expert mechanic Gold Coast.