What Does it Mean When Your Car Leaks Antifreeze?

Antifreeze, also known as coolant, is one of those under-the-hood liquids that just doesn’t get enough credit. It prevents your engine from overheating and keeps your cooling system from freezing during cold winter days. On top of that, antifreeze is also responsible for preventing engine and piping corrosion. In other words, it acts as a rust inhibitor.

We can’t stress enough how important it is to check the antifreeze liquid inside your engine regularly. Sometimes leaks can happen, and there are a number of potential causes for this. This article will cover the most common coolant leak causes and give you an idea of how serious it is. Read along and find out what does it mean when your car leaks antifreeze

What Causes Antifreeze to Leak?

A Blown Head Gasket

If this happens, coolant and engine oil tend to combine in a dangerous way that can cause your engine to fail. You might be able to continue driving like this, but you’ll notice your fuel economy going down the drain and your engine performing less than optimal. 

Aside from mixing with the engine oil, a blown head gasket might lead to the antifreeze liquid leaking outside onto the ground. So if you notice your car leaking antifreeze when parked, you’re probably dealing with this issue. The lack of coolant will result in less cooling of your engine. This, in turn, will make your engine overheat very rapidly and might even cause total failure.

A Hole in the Radiator

This is the second most common cause of antifreeze leaking. If you’re asking yourself why is my antifreeze leaking, the answer is probably corrosion. The corrosion of radiator tubes can easily lead to a leak. Another culprit of an antifreeze leak is a worn-out seal gasket on the radiator.

A Crack in the Coolant tank 

Another sign of antifreeze leaking is a small hole in the overflow reservoir that stores heated antifreeze. Luckily, these are easy to diagnose by a visual inspection. 

A Cracked Radiator Hose

Hoses that are connected to the radiator are susceptible to cracking and splitting over time. These cracks are not always visible, so always make sure to inspect the entire length of the radiator hose. The clamps that connect the hoses to the radiator also have a limited lifespan and might lead to coolant leaks. Luckily, if you’re dealing with a cracked radiator hose, you’re actually in luck because they are the easiest to replace, and you can even do it by yourself.

Other Known Causes

We covered the most common causes, but what about those less obvious? These can be slightly harder to spot, yet, they can be equally dangerous. These are the essential parts of the coolant system that might be responsible:

• Malfunctioning water pump
• Damaged or worn intake manifold gasket
• Malfunctioning heater core

A malfunctioning water pump might cause issues, as well as a damaged intake manifold gasket. If you notice your vehicle underperforming or overheating, make sure to check these two parts. Also, the heater core can cause additional issues and lead to coolant leaks.

Coolant leaks can be quite severe and might leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere. If your engine fails on you due to a lack of antifreeze, make sure to give Melbourne Towing Guys a call. We’ll tow your vehicle to the nearest mechanic and make sure you are out of harm’s way in no time. 

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Melbourne Towing Guys

12 Esperance Rd

Mount Waverley VIC 3149

(03) 7037 7636

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