Your engine creates heat through the consistent movement of internal engine components. These parts need to be cooled or they will overheat and damage the engine. Engine coolant or anti-freeze is the fluid that does the job.

   Your coolant system is a closed system. In other words, the coolant should not escape or leak from the vehicle. A vehicle running hotter than normal is a sign of low anti-freeze. The easiest way to identify a anti-freeze leak is to look for coolant on the ground or on the engine block. The fluid can slowly leak from several areas of the engine that may not be easily spotted.

  Freeze plugs were invented as a means to stop your engine block from cracking in freezing temperatures. It’s good defensive engineering to stop catastrophic repairs but it is also a weak spot to create coolant leaks. A freeze plug is a thin metal disc strategically located on the engine block. The thin metal will eventually rust and create a small coolant leak. The coolant runs down the back side of the engine block and evaporates in the extreme heat before it hit’s the ground. You could be loosing coolant and never know it.

  The car’s heater core is another common part of the coolant system that can go bad and create an overheating condition. Engine coolant runs through the heater core to create the heat for the passenger compartment of the vehicle. It’s usually located under the dash panel on the passenger side of the car. A small coolant leak in the heater core can drip on the interior of the vehicle and be absorbed into the carpet. A good indication of a heater core leak would be a wet floor board on the passenger side of the vehicle accompanied by the smell of almonds. The almond smell is the actual smell of the coolant.

  The head gasket is also another place coolant can be escaping without being seen. The gasket between the cylinder head and engine block can fail when exposed to extreme temperatures. Coolant enters into the piston combustion chamber and actual burns out through the vehicle’s exhaust system. White smoke blowing out the tailpipe is a good indication of a blown head gasket.

  Replacing the freeze plugs, heater core or head gasket are jobs not suitable for the typical weekend mechanic. Take the vehicle to a reputable repair shop and have them pressure test the coolant system. Let a professional identify the leaks and perform the repair.