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| Leaks are most often the cause of overheating |
date: 3/27/2010 read: 101 |
Overheating problems may often be linked to leaks in the cooling system, yet they are easy to locate.
Lift the hood and the coolant can be seen leaking or spraying from the problem area.
Though coolant is usually green, depending on the make of the vehicle and the type of antifreeze used, it could be orange or yellow. It’s wise never to open the radiator or coolant cap on a hot system, even if there is little coolant left.
Hot coolant or steam spraying out if a pressurized cap is removed from the radiator or plastic reservoir could scald you. Let the car cool if it has been overheating, then add water or anti-freeze to the coolant reservoir that has a non-pressurized cap.
Most common sources of coolant leaks
Water pump Radiato or heater hoses Radiator
Heater core Intake gaskets Head gaskets
If there’s not an obvious leak, you can pressurize the system using a cooling system pressure tester. Use a test kit adapter to check the radiator cap, if you can’t see any wear on the radiator cap rubber seal.
A faulty or blown head gasket can be more difficult to diagnose.
Check for exhaust fumes in the cooling system with a carbon test. A cylinder leak-down tester may help find very slow leaks in an individual cylinder or between two cylinders.
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