Whether we’re talking about your car, truck, or tractor, there is one very important component that helps to keep vehicles cool enough to operate—the radiator. This radiator functions by removing heat from the engine through coolant, moving the coolant throughout a series of coils. This cooled air then flows back into your engine to keep it from overheating.
If your radiator is leaking, that means you’re losing coolant. This will cause your vehicle’s engine to overheat, and break down. Some individuals believe they can still drive with a damaged or malfunctioning radiator, but this really isn’t safe. A leaking radiator is one of the most common problems our mechanics get called out for—and you really should turn to a pro for this kind of problem.
“What Is So Bad About a Radiator Leak?”
Simply put, operating your vehicle with a radiator leak occurring will cause significant damage to that vehicle. Though it depends on how severe the leak is, it’s possible that a professional mechanic will be able to seal it. However, you should prepare for the possibility the radiator will need to be replaced altogether. Since you won’t know until you have a pro look at it, we urge you not to drive until you’ve done so.
The reason for this is because the more you drive with a malfunctioning radiator, the worse damage can occur to your engine. You could find yourself facing a much more severe and costly repair than what you started with. Driving with a leaking radiator or some other radiator issue will cause the engine to overheat, triggering many other related problems.
“What Do I Do If My Engine Does Overheat?”
Let’s face it, this happens! You may be in your vehicle and unaware anything is wrong—until all of the sudden you see steam rising out of your vehicle’s hood, signaling that your engine has overheated. The first thing you should do is turn on your heater! Obviously this seems counter-intuitive given the problem is too much heat, but what this does is transfers some of the heat load off the engine, hopefully preventing further damage.
If you don’t see your engine’s temperature go down after this, and if you haven’t already, be sure to pull over to a safe location in your vehicle as soon as you can. Open the hood to let the excess heat out, but don’t open the radiator cap (you can burn yourself doing so). Call for a tow truck or roadside assistance to get your vehicle off the road, and then call our radiator professionals to have your vehicle’s overheating problem inspected.
You Can Trust Our Team of Pros
Our team of expert radiator professionals provide comprehensive repair and rebuild services, and we also replace radiators if a repair isn’t going to get your vehicle back to 100%. We want you to have total confidence in the performance of your radiator and vehicle, so you can feel safe—whether you’re on the road or in the field.
When you pair our unbearably hot days with heavy vehicle use, radiator wear and tear is inevitable. So you need a team you can trust if you do run into problems. Ask our team about the radiators we have for sale, in addition to our repair, rebuild, and maintenance services.
