How to Fix a Coolant Leak?
2 Answers
Methods to deal with a coolant leak: 1. First, open the car's hood. Every car has a coolant reservoir. Locate that reservoir, which has scale lines to check the fluid level against the marked position. 2. Next, check if there is a coolant leak. If the leak is severe, you will notice water under the engine area on the ground. Touch it—if it's red and oily, it might be coolant. Then, go straight for repairs. 3. Sometimes, if the leak is minor and not immediately obvious, it can be hard to detect with the naked eye. This is where a simple trick comes in handy, especially for those unfamiliar with cars. Occasionally, major engine overhauls are caused by cylinder bursts due to insufficient coolant. 4. When parking at night, place a newspaper under the engine. Check it the next day. If the newspaper has oily water stains, it confirms a coolant leak. This method usually detects minor leaks, allowing for short-distance driving, but repairs should be done as soon as possible. 5. If no oily water is found on the newspaper the next day, simply top up the coolant in the car, but only up to the reservoir's maximum line—do not overfill. Monitor the level over time to see if it drops again.
Last time my car was leaking coolant, I spent quite a while troubleshooting it myself. First, I looked for wet spots on the ground to trace where the leak was coming from. Common culprits are loose radiator connections or cracked hoses, so I tried tightening the connections. If a hose was damaged, I'd replace it with a new one—they're quite cheap to buy on Taobao. But if the leak is near the engine, it could be a water pump or head gasket issue, which is more complicated. In that case, it's best not to push your luck and head straight to the repair shop. Coolant isn't just for preventing freezing—it also protects the engine from rusting under high temperatures. A leak can affect overall performance, so regularly checking the radiator water level is crucial. DIY repairs can save you a lot of money and teach you a thing or two.
