Coolant Leak Repair

How important is Coolant Leak Repair?

Why you need an coolant leak repair service

Despite the name, engine coolant does more than keeping your engine cool. It also prevents corrosion in vital engine components and contains anti-freeze to prevent your engine from freezing in the winter. Even a small leak in your cooling system could seriously damage the engine. If coolant leaks into the combustion chamber of the engine, your engine could seize, leaving you stranded.

Car and Truck Coolant Leak Repair

Our expert technicians know how to hunt down even the peskiest coolant leaks. If you’re worried about your car or truck’s cooling system, we can set you back at ease. Coolant leak services include:

Common Signs Your Cooling System Needs Repair

A coolant leak can be caused by many things, including loose hose clamps, old hoses, age, or even road debris damaging the cooling system. 

If you notice one or more of the following symptoms, it’s time to bring your car or truck in for a coolant leak fix:

• Your car is overheating
• Bright colored fluid dripping from under the car or truck
• Puddles forming under your car or truck
• Smoke coming from under the hood
• A sweet chemical smell coming from the engine bay
• Coolant warning light comes on
• You need to frequently top up the coolant reservoir.

There are many different causes of coolant leaks, ranging from minor issues to major engine problems. By fixing the minor problems when they come up, you can prevent major problems later. 

Common causes of Coolant Leaks

Some of the most common causes of coolant leaks include:

Broken Hoses and Hose Clamps. As they age, the hoses that the coolant flows through can start to wear out. Often the leak occurs where the hoses connect to the radiator, the heater core, or the thermostat. As the hose clamps wear out, they can lose their ability to clamp the hose tightly, allowing coolant to leak out. 

Leaking radiator cap. Your vehicle’s cooling system is a high-pressure system. As the rubber in the radiator cap ages, the pressure can eventually push coolant out.

Damaged coolant reservoir. Your vehicle’s cooling system is a high-pressure system. As the rubber in the radiator cap ages, the pressure can eventually push coolant out.

Damaged coolant reservoir. The coolant reservoir supplies and holds extra engine coolant. As the coolant flows through the engine and the radiator, it ends up in the reservoir again. Because most reservoirs are plastic, engine heat can crack the plastic and cause leaks. 

Radiator Corrosion. A car’s radiator is exposed to the elements. Over time the metal in the radiator can start to rust. Eventually, the rust leads to small holes in the radiator, which allows coolant to escape. Periodic coolant flushes help keep corrosion from happening, but sooner or later, a radiator will wear out and need replacement.

Blown head gaskets. A head gasket is a seal between the cylinder heads and the engine block. Overheating and age can cause head gaskets to bend or crack and begin leaking.  This can cause coolant to leak out of the engine, or even worse, into parts of the engine where it shouldn’t be. A head gasket replacement can be very costly and can be avoided with proper preventive maintenance.

THE BENEFITS OF of coolant leak repair

Winter Protection – By having coolant leaks fixed, your car won’t run out of anti-freeze in the winter and have better corrosion protection from the elements.

Protect your investment – Small coolant leak repairs can be much less expensive than major engine work that might be necessary if your vehicle overheats due to low coolant.

Better for the environment – When your car is leaking coolant, it’s not just bad for your vehicle. It’s also bad for your health and the environment. Coolant is toxic to humans and animals, can stain your garage or driveway, and can destroy your lawn.

How long does a coolant leak repair take?

It takes time to diagnose where the coolant leaks from and how to fix the coolant leak. Minor repairs like replacing hoses or clamps can take an hour or less. Larger repairs like replacing a radiator or coolant reservoir will take 3-4 hours. Major repairs such as a head gasket replacement can take a day or more, so it’s best to deal with small leaks before they become major headaches later.

CAR, TRUCK, RV Coolant leak repair

TLC Auto and Truck is a certified Auto and Truck repair service center. We offer professional coolant system repairs and have a track record of knowledgeable, honest, and genuine people on our team. If you notice a coolant leak or suspect you may need coolant leak repairs, we are glad to give you a free estimate.

Not only that, we are happy to offer free pick up and drop off of your vehicle. We stand behind our work and are proud to offer a 24 month 24 thousand mile guarantee on everything we do.