When there's a coolant leak in your vehicle, you may notice a sweet smell in your air conditioning or under the hood. (Psst! In winter, try these tips to stay warm when your heat isn't working!) There's a sweet-smelling odor. If the coolant is low and your air conditioning is running, you may notice hot air coming from your car A/C vents. When you use your vehicle's heat, the coolant helps regulate the flow of hot air into the cabin. If the gauge is reading close to the H, shut your engine down and have it towed to a Firestone Complete Auto Care near you for repairs. Most often, the gauge should stay near the center of the H and C symbols. This gauge is designed to tell you when the engine is getting too hot. One tell-tale sign of low coolant is the high-temperature gauge on the dashboard. The high-temperature gauge is near or in the red. If your coolant light is on, you may notice some of these oddities. Some vehicles might display a "Check Coolant" message on the dashboard. Typically, low coolant will trigger your antifreeze light. Low coolant symptoms can vary depending on how low your vehicle is on antifreeze. While this may help save you from extensive repairs stemming from an overheated engine, it can be very dangerous depending on where you are driving when the engine shuts off. Some cars have a safety system in place to automatically shut the engine off before it suffers significant damage - which can happen due to low coolant. If this happens, you may notice smoke emitting from the engine or tailpipe, a loss of power, engine knocking sounds, or decreased efficiency. If you’ve ever said, “I am about to blow a gasket,” to describe your mood - you know that this happening to your engine is bad news! Low coolant can sometimes cause a head gasket on your engine block to blow. Continued use of an overheated engine could lead to permanent damage, such as pistons welding to the cylinders. So, without enough coolant, the engine could overheat or seize up. Your engine could overheat.Ĭoolant helps pull heat away from the engine. Here are some things that can happen if you drive with low coolant. Driving with low coolant could let your engine get too hot, which usually spells trouble for your engine, your vehicle, and your journey! Effects of Low Coolant in Carĭriving with low coolant can damage certain parts of your vehicle, which could require major repairs. To ensure the engine stays at an optimal operating temperature, your car relies on a fluid called antifreeze, or engine coolant. A majority of the heat, however, must be managed another way. When you use your car’s heater, some of this heat is channeled into the cabin for your comfort. This may be a minor fix (such as replacing the radiator hose) or it could be more serious.Gasoline engines, diesel engines, hybrid vehicles, and even electric cars naturally create heat. If you find that you are consistently filling your coolant and levels continue to be low, this may mean that you have a leak.Follow the recommendations on the container to dispose of it properly.Do not leave the container lying around!.If you spill any on the ground you should make sure that you wipe it up.Please keep in mind that most coolants are toxic, and can be fatal to those who come in contact with it. Be sure to change your coolant every couple of years (following the manufacturer's recommendations).After that, all you need to do is replace the cap, make sure that it is on tight, and you're ready to roll!.To add the coolant, just unscrew the cap of the opaque overflow reservoir and add the mixture until it reaches the full mark.You can generally purchase this pre-mixed. Engines take a 50/50 mixture of coolant and water, which allows your radiator the optimum boiling or freeze protection that your engine needs. If you find that you are low on coolant you will need to top it off.You should be checking your coolant level a few times per year to make sure that there are no leaks in your system.You will also find that there are markings on the side to tell you how high or low the level is. The opaque tank is made of white plastic, which allows you to see the inside and be sure that the coolant is at a safe level. In most cars today, there is an opaque coolant overflow tank located next to the radiator. The first thing to remember is to check the coolant level when the car is cold. Checking the coolant level in your car is a fairly simple process.
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