Coolant is one of the few fluids that goes into your engine that goes by many names, coolant, radiator fluid or antifreeze. One might think that because of the name of this fluid it would only be useful to you in the summertime because it is related to your A/C system, false! Coolant is a primary fluid for your engine. However, the mystery can arise though when suddenly the coolant is disappearing from tank is with no potential signs of leakage.

 

1. Invisible Leakage Points

If your radiator fluid is pulling a ghost act on you, one thing that you can do is conduct a pressure test. You will need an air pump that in turn will help you detect the leakage point when you aren’t able to see it.

To do this, remove the radiator cap and attach the air pump’s hose to the coolant recovery tank. Now, you can start pumping in the air until the air pump’s gauge reaches the level of pressure printed on the radiator. Now that the system is pressurizes, if your system has any leaks you should be able to see them. 

2. The Faulty Reservoir Cap

This is probably one of the simplest fixes! Sometimes the manufacturer creates a faulty reservoir radiator cap, all you must do is zip down to the car hardware store and pick up a new cap! Though this is the lesser of the issues that can cause your reservoir to leak it can lead to dreadful consequences. This leakage is visible and may result from bad reservoir cap.

Every tank in your engine, when the car is running is under pressure in normal circumstances. In case of a faulty radiator cap, the required pressure fails to build up inside the system, leading to overheating. When this happens, the coolant is likely to simply burn-off rather and disappear.

3. Bad Head Gasket

Your vehicle’s head gasket is a module that is inserted between the engine block and the cylindrical head in your engine. The primary function of these gaskets is to seal the cylinders so that the coolant doesn’t leak. When your head gasket goes bad or was faulty, suddenly your perfectly functioning vehicle to one that is leaking radiator fluid all over the place!

If you can’t find where your radiator fluid is going or you are concerned by how your engine is sounding or smelling, give us a call at Callahan Automotive and we will get your engine serviced and get you back on the road again safe and sound with no leaks!