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Coolant leaking after every drive. Yeah,
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that's not something you want to ignore
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because that bright green, pink, or
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orange puddle under your car is
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basically your engine's lifeline
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dripping away. Hey folks, Tom here from
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Car Justify, and I've helped more than a
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few people track down mystery coolant
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leaks before they turned into tow truck
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calls. Now, if you're finding coolant
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after every drive, that means
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something's losing fluid while the
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system is hot and under pressure. A
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small leak when cold, that can hide for
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weeks. But hot leaks, they usually show
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themselves fast. The first place I
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always check is the radiator hoses.
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These guys get brittle over time,
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especially near the clamps. When the
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engine heats up, pressure builds, and
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any tiny crack will spray coolant like a
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shaken soda bottle. Pop the hood, run
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the engine till it's warm, and look for
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wet spots or steam. Next up, the
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radiator itself. I've seen them corrode
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at the seams or get little pin holes
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from road debris. Sometimes you can see
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the crusty white or green residue around
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the edges. That's dried coolant. A dead
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giveaway. If you've got an aluminum
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radiator, those end tanks can split
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along the plastic seams. Yep, happens a
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lot. And usually right after a cold to
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hot cycle. Don't forget the water pump.
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The pump has a small weep hole built
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into it. And if the internal seal starts
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going bad, coolant drips from that hole,
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especially right after a drive. You
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might not see it pooling under the pump
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because the heat can make it evaporate
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quickly, but you'll notice staining
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around the area or maybe a sweet smell
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after you park. Then there's the heater
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core and the hoses going into it. Now,
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this one trips people up all the time
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because if it's leaking inside the dash,
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you won't see a puddle under the car.
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Instead, you might notice damp carpet on
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the passenger side or foggy windows that
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smell like maple syrup. If you've got
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that, it's heater core city. And of
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course, the coolant reservoir. I had a
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buddy last week who swore up and down
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his radiator was leaking. Turned out the
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reservoir had a hairline crack along the
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bottom. Every time the system pushed hot
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coolant into the tank, it dribbled out.
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Super cheap fix, but only once you know
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where to look. Here's a quick tip.
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Pressure test the system. You can rent a
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cooling system pressure tester from most
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auto parts stores. It's basically a hand
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pump you attach in place of your
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radiator cap. Pump it up to the rated
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pressure, usually written right on your
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cap, and see where the coolant comes
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out. Do this with the engine cool, so
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you're not dealing with hot liquid under
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pressure. One more thing, coolant can
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also leak from your head gasket into the
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combustion chamber, which means you
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won't see it on the ground at all. If
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you're losing coolant but can't find a
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single drip, check your exhaust. White
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sweet smelling smoke after warmup could
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be a head gasket. Not the best news, but
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better to know early than roast your
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engine. So, quick recap. hoses,
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radiator, water pump, heater core,
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coolant reservoir, and in rare cases,
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the head gasket. Start with the easy
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stuff you can see, work your way to the
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hidden stuff, and pressure test if you
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can't spot the problem. And remember,
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running without enough coolant will cook
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your engine faster than you can say towe
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bill. All right, that's it for today. If
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this helped you figure out where your
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coolant's going, hit that like button
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and subscribe so you don't miss more car
3:05
saving tips. And drop a comment if
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you've chased down a weird coolant leak
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before. I'd love to hear your
