Ways to Detect Car Cooling System Leak

Cars have a lot of components that generate heat as we drive. When this heat combines with the summer heat, there is an even higher risk of severe engine damage. This is the kind of catastrophe a car cooling system is supposed to prevent. The system uses coolant to save the engine from overheating. A cooling system leak means the car will run out of coolant before it’s time for a refill. Therefore, it is a problem you should identify and fix before it affects the engine and other components.

Signs of Car Cooling System Leak

In case of a car cooling system leak, there will be dripping, sprinkling, seeping or bubbling in the leaky compartments. These are all signs of a leak. You can also detect a leaking coolant if your car is fitted with a low coolant indicator lamp that will warn of lower coolant levels.

There are many other places you can check for a leak that we are going to discuss in detail later in this guide. You may also open the car hood and visually inspect the engine for any sign of leakage from either the engine, radiator, or hoses. If there’s any indication of green, orange, or yellow coloured coolant pouring out of bottom car, you must get the leak fixed. Additionally, there can be a sweet, characteristic odour of ethylene glycol antifreeze emerging out of the car interior, signally clearly towards a leaky coolant.

Here are the places you can inspect to determine a car cooling system leak.

Methods to Identify Car Cooling System Leak

coolant in the car cooling system — A glimpse of coolant in the rear side of the car near the engine

Here are a few methods to check coolant leak in car cooling system:

Look Under the Vehicle

The first place you have to look for leakage is under the vehicle, on the ground beneath the hood. You can check for coolant leak when car is not running every morning as it may create a small puddle on the ground. If there’s some liquid, stick your finger in it and smell it. Also, note if it’s green, red, blue, orange, or rustic because the colour of the coolant depends on the antifreeze in the system. Get a flashlight and inspect the parts of the car under the hood where you’ve seen the puddle. Feel around for wetness because the leaking component would be near the place of the leak. Make sure you check the hoses leading to the coolant recovery reservoir and the radiator for any damage or leak.

Radiator Cap Check

find leak in radiator — Check the radiator cap and the underside to find leaks

To find car cooling system leak, the most probable place is the underside of the radiator. You might have to get a bit closer to look around for any whitish deposits or rust-colored stains around the radiator that may indicate the presence of old leaks. Importantly, see whether the front end of the radiator is clogged with dirt or debris. If you find any, get a brush and garden hose to wash it off.

Check the Pressure Cap

Since car engine overheating is one of the signs of a leaking cooling system, you might have to inspect the root cause of the problem. The cheapest solution for an easily overheated engine is to buy a new safety cap or get your mechanic to pressure-test the cap. If it isn’t functioning properly, you may have to buy a new one. Simply provide the salesperson with the make, model and year of the car and check the pressure limits on the new cap against your old one to purchase the right model.

Inspect the Hoses

Checking the hoses is an obligatory part of finding coolant leaks – in fact, it should be a routine for daily car check-ups even if there is no sign of a leak. The radiator hose if suddenly starts emitting steam then this could be very dangerous. Besides, the sudden malfunctioning of the vacuum hose can cut short the engine in the midst of the traffic. Therefore, checking for damaged hoses and replacing them before they decide to leak can save you a lot of trouble and money in the long run.

Always check if it feels soft, squishy, bulging, hard, brittle, cracked or even traces of a whitish deposit where leaked stuff has dried up. If any of the signs are there, your hose needs urgent replacement.

Expert Tip

Another important tip to save your nerves in cases the car starts to heat up is to park at a safe spot, turn the parking brake on, and open the hood without shutting off the engine. Inspect the bottom radiator hose to see if it has collapsed or about to. If you find any evidence and have a spare hose with you, do not hesitate in replacing it before you resume your trip.

Ways to Find a Car Cooling System Leak

There are various methods to find a leak in the cooling system of a car using tools such as a pressure tester.

How to Find a Coolant Leak with a Pressure Tester

If you can’t find coolant leak with any of the above discussed methods, then use the pressure tester method.

Get the pressure testing kit for the cooling system that includes an adapter, a pump and rubber fittings of different sizes. Some kits have three sizes of rubber fittings, you can easily check which size fits your car’s coolant reservoir or radiator hole, upon removing the respective cap.

These are the precautions you need to take when checking leaks using a pressure tester:

Make sure that your car’s engine is cold.
Put on safety glasses and check if there is a pressurized system in the tank.
If the pressurized system is not there, then you can perform the test on the radiator.
Fill the coolant so that there is no air in the system. If there is air then pumping up the pressure will take time.
Make sure to use coolant that suits your car.
Use only distilled water.

Here is how to find a coolant leak with a pressure tester:

The rubber fittings are screwed on the adapter.
Keep the threaded section away from the adapter mounting surface.
Tighten the rubber fitting to fit the snug.
Remove the engine cover so that the coolant hoses are visible.
To get a specific value on the gauge, keep pumping the system.
In case the cooling system is leaking, pumping will not get maximum value on the tester.
Even if the gauge shows the maximum value, it will gradually drop back.
You may also hear water dripping that represents a leak in the cooling system.

In such a scenario, you must get the coolant leak fixed by a professional to avoid further damage.

How to Find a Coolant Leak with Dye

Using dye along with UV light is one of the widely used methods to detect coolant leak in the cooling system. You can purchase from any local auto part supplier or buy online in Dubai via dubizzle.

Given here are the steps on how to find coolant leak with dye:

Pour some coolant dye into the radiator/coolant system.
Start the car and let it run for about 12 to 15 minutes.
Use the UV light to find out where the dye is coming from.
Check around the cooling system near the radiator and hoses.
You will see the coloured dye coming out from the point of the leak.
Its time to replace the car water pump.

You can easily buy a new or used water pump and other auto accessories and parts online in Dubai via dubizzle.

Wherever you see the dye coming out in green or fluorescent colour, seek professional help to fix it. It is worthwhile to note that there are different coolant colours and have unique purpose. Sometimes using a dye and UV light to detect a leak is better than using a pressure tester. Cars only leak when you are driving at high speed and are difficult to detect in a stationary car. When you are using a dye, you can see the leak when you stop the car.

Now you know how to find coolant leak in car cooling system easily. In case the leak has damaged major parts of your car and cannot be fixed or replaced, then buy another car. If you aren’t ready to buy a brand new car, you can buy a used car in Dubai online on dubizzle. A few of the popular options are:

Stay tuned to the UAE’s leading auto blog for more car repair and maintenance tips.