My car is overheating I went to Pep Boys last night it shows a little leak in the radiator the heat temp is not going up it’s stay
Good morning last night on the way home from work saw some smoke under my hood stopped at Pep Boys they checked it out they open my coolant it is full they looked at the reserve it's half-full no leaking underneath they saw a little water or sweating in front of the radiator and win the hood open and a little of the greenish stuff was coming off so I guess the coolant was hitting The metal part of the car this morning driving a little smoke showing under the hood but the needle is staying the same not going up not going down Any idea
My car has 144 miles.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Hi there. Just because the car has a leak, this doesn’t mean that your car is necessarily going to overheat. Your radiator could get a leak for many reasons. It could just be old or something could have hit it while you were driving. You need to have your radiator replaced to fix the issue. If you would like to have this taken care of, a qualified professional from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to pinpoint the problem and assist you on any needed actions.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :
If your coolant level is a-okay, but your car heater is blowing cold air and your engine is overheating, then you have a clog in your cooling system. Conversely, if your engine temperatures are unrealistically low after a drive, your thermostat is likely the culprit.
Pep Boys Antifreeze/Coolant Drain and Fill Service Package
Designed specifically for the driver who wants to defend their cooling system against damage, our drain and fill service is the package for you.
Hoses that are worn or burst can cause leaks and coolant flow problems throughout the engine. A faulty radiator fan can prevent effective temperature reduction and can cause overheating. If rust, dirt, or debris is blocking any spot in the coolant system, overheating can result.
If you find that you`ve got a car running hot but not overheating there might be a few reasons: Clogged or damaged radiator. Low coolant level. Damaged water pump or thermostat.
This is usually caused by a problem with your coolant system: Your heater uses the heat from the engine to warm up the air. Coolant flows through your engine absorbing heat, then it flows to the heater. If the coolant isn`t properly circulating and cooling your engine, it will not carry any warmth to your heater.
Prestone DEX-COOL Antifreeze+Coolant (1 Gal – Ready to Use) | 9307805 | Pep Boys.
That said, a severely overheating engine can cause the cylinder walls or the pistons themselves to warp, bend and deform. This will cause the perfect seal between the piston and the rest of the engine to lose integrity. Oil could be forced past the piston rings and into the engine, where it will burn the oil.
Your overheated engine may still be running, but it`s not fine. You risk costly damage to your engine if you keep driving. DON`T panic. Your engine may have lost its cool, but now is the time for you to keep yours!
Technically speaking yes you can use plain water in your cooling system but it isn`t recommended as a long term solution and certainly not in extreme weather conditions.
With the engine off, open your hood and locate the water pump pulley. With gloves on, grab it and wiggle it back and forth. There should be no movement, if there is, this along with the noise is a good indication you may have a water pump problem.
Start your car`s engine and allow it to idle. Look through the radiator filler neck to see if the coolant flows. At this time, it should not be flowing as your car has not reached the operating temperature to cause the thermostat to open. If you find the coolant is flowing, it means the thermostat valve is open.
Green coolant is the conventional coolant (Ethylene Glycol base) and is the most popularly used coolant. Red coolant typically has a base of Organic Acid Technology which is designed to be more suitable for aluminium radiators.
Generally speaking, a 50/50 mixture of water and antifreeze is a good place to start. However, when speaking in terms of climate, you may want to take temperature into consideration. For example, 50/50 may work best in more moderate climates where the temperature gets below 32 only on occasion.
While driving with a coolant leak doesn`t pose an immediate threat to your well-being, we highly recommend that you avoid doing so. Driving a car that is leaking coolant can cause serious damage to your engine. Your engine can overheat, costing you big time.
Your coolant is arguably the single most important fluid you`ll find under the hood of your car, and for a good reason: without it, your engine wouldn`t make it more than just a few minutes without suffering a catastrophic breakdown, even including irreparable damage.
Leading Causes of Radiator Leaks
The leading and most common cause is corrosion in the radiator. Radiators, hoses, and hose connections collect sediment and rust that can punch holes in the radiator over time. In a few instances, weak coolant can be the cause of overheating.
Can an engine survive overheating? Yes – as long as you respond quickly and don`t let your car go into full meltdown mode, it should be repairable. Too much heat can result in further complications, such as cracks leading to significant oil leaks or loss of performance.
The furthest you can drive an overheating car is about a ¼ mile before you risk irreversible engine damage. While some vehicles could still make it as far as 20 miles, we would never recommend driving very far with an overheating engine.
Leaks are the #1 reason a vehicle begins to overheat. Leaks in hoses, the radiator, water pump, thermostat housing, heater core, head gasket, freeze plugs and a few other things can all lead to problems with the vehicle`s cooling system.
It doesn`t take long for harm to hit your engine when your car overheats. According to housegrail.com, it only takes 30-60 seconds of additional heat before damage occurs to the interior.
Loud popping, knocking, and stuttering noises from the hood of your vehicle are cause for concern, and could be a sign of major engine damage.
It gets even more concerning and confusing when car overheating suddenly returns to normal. This phenomenon can happen for many reasons, like a bad thermostat, a faulty radiator, or a coolant leak. As such, it`s best to get your car checked by a professional— like RepairSmith!
Repeated overheating can be a sign of serious engine damage. Repeated use of an overheated engine can accelerate that damage rapidly. In extreme heat, core parts of the vehicle`s engine can crack, warp, and fail — resulting in instant death to your vehicle`s powerplant.
A bath of cold or ice water has proven to be the most effective way of quickly lowering the core body temperature. The quicker you can receive cold water immersion, the less risk of organ damage and death.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
My car is overheating I went to Pep Boys last night it shows a little leak in the radiator the heat temp is not going up it’s stay
ANSWER : Hi there. Just because the car has a leak, this doesn’t mean that your car is necessarily going to overheat. Your radiator could get a leak for many reasons. It could just be old or something could have hit it while you were driving. You need to have your radiator replaced to fix the issue. If you would like to have this taken care of, a qualified professional from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to pinpoint the problem and assist you on any needed actions.
Replaced alternator on car 2 times each time shows it’s charging 14v let car run for a little bit then test drive and car voltage
ANSWER : There are reports that the replacement alternators will not communicate with the engine computer and will not charge correctly. I recommend using only the manufacturer approved replacement part. It can be new or remanufactured but approved for use in the vehicle. Some lower cost alternators on the aftermarket will have charging problems since they will not communicate with the ECM on the vehicle and will stop charging.
Car won’t drive after over heating on the highway
ANSWER : Hi there. Most of the time when you overheat this engine it will also cause the transmission to get too hot. When this occurs it can easily cause transmission failure. I would suspect this if the vehicle does not move at all. If it move but is severely lacking power then you either have some serious internal engine damage or a failure in the catalytic converter from the overheating. It sounds like it is the transmission though. I would recommend having a transmission specialist take a look at it.
My heat in my car stopped working two days ago and now my car is overheating. I put antifreeze in my car and it’s still overheating 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
ANSWER : Hi there – you may have 2 related events here, a coolant leak, and a problem with the heater system. The current issue may be air inside the cooling system, which can cause overheating, and a lack of heater function. The lack of heater function could have 5 causes: the engine is not getting up to correct temperature (center of the gauge) due to a malfunctioning thermostat, the heater control valve is not letting hot coolant into the heater core, there is a restriction in the heater system that is preventing adequate hot coolant flow through the heater core, the heater fan is not working to transfer heat from the heater core to warm air for the passenger compartment, or the air blend doors inside the heater are not working properly to route warm air to the desired vents. I would recommend a heater system inspection](https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/heater-is-not-working-inspection) by a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, who will come to your location, diagnose this problem, give you an accurate assessment of damage and cost estimate for repairs.
car is overheating and leaking water and anti freeze
ANSWER : Coolant leaks can occur because of cracked hoses, leaking gaskets, faulty water pumps, or damaged radiators. When the coolant level goes low, the engine will start to overheat due to the low coolant level. I would first recommend giving the cooling system a visual look over. If it is not obvious where the coolant leak is coming from, I would recommed having the cooling system pressure tested in order to determine the leak source. If you would like to have your cooling system pressure testedcoolant is leaking inspection, consider YourMechanic, as a certified technician can come to your home or office to inspect your cooling system.
Shifting from 2nd to 3rd, car stopped going fast. Now it won’t go at all.
ANSWER : It is possible that your clutch has failed. The sound you are hearing is likely due to the clutch not engaging with the engine due to it being worn. I would recommened having your transmission inspected by a qualified transmission expert to determine if your clutch requires replacement in order to resolve this issue. This inspection may require removal and partial disassembly of the transmission in order to verify that the clutch has failed.
I went out last night in my car everything was fine then I pulled up at the shop turned car off wen I got bak in it my steering wa
ANSWER : Hello, thank you for writing in. There are several reasons why your steering may have gotten hard. If there was low fluid, you have a leak that you will need to locate. When you locate that leak, you will find the issue. Considering the steering was still hard after you added fluid, you will want to look into the power steering pump. If it has failed, so will your assisted steering. They are generally easy to change once you have access, and are the most likely component to fail in the system. The system is driven by the drive belts, and you should also make sure they are in good condition. For more help resolving the issue, contact our service department to schedule an appointment.
A/C and heat are not working properly. Car blows heat in summer and cool air in winter.
ANSWER : Common causes of no cabin heat include malfunctioning blend door(s) (part of the in-dash ventilation network), a faulty or stuck heater control valve, a plugged heater core, stuck open engine cooling thermostat, collapsed hoses, and low coolant level. The cost to resolve the problem depends on which of the foregoing faults is the cause. If you desire a diagnostic to determine exactly why there is no cabin heat, please request a non functioning cabin heater diagnostic and the responding mechanic will come right to your location and get this resolved for you promptly.
With regard to your air conditioning system, if merely re-charging the system restored normal operation but the a/c ceased to function after a month or so, that scenario typically suggests a leak. Some leaks are really cheap to repair, like if a couple o-rings need to be replaced in system piping but if the leak is at the compressor shaft seal, that repair is more costly. It is not expensive to find the leak and diagnose the system and once the leak is found the mechanic can let you know of the exact cost to repair the leak and re-charge the system. If you desire that service please request an a/c system diagnostic – suspected refrigerant leak and the responding certified mechanic will get this taken care of for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you
