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Coolant leaks - a sign of the season Posted by Ari [Email] (#2847) [Profile/Gallery] (more from Ari) on Mon, 4 Dec 2000 17:50:35 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
It's getting cold out - have you suddenly noticed a new puddle under your car after it's been sitting a while?
When it starts getting cold, you see a lot more coolant leaks. I'm writing this because it's about this time of year when a lot of posts show up complaining of puddles. The other time is early summer, after folks turn on the AC for the first time on a humid day, and they see the condensor spit and figure the engine has blown up.
In cold weather, engines go through much larger temperature swings. This expand and contract cycle helps loosen hose clamps. Every thing is fine when the car is warm and expanded, but when it cools down, hoses don't fit as tight because the inner pipe has contracted some. You get leaks after the car cools, and again just as the car starts up.
If you see a puddle under your car, don't panic - reach for the nutdriver. Tighten up all the coolant hose clamps you see. Do this when the engine is cold, because you'll be able to tighten the clamp better. If you don't see any leaks, go around the engine compartment with a nutdriver and tighten the hoses anyway. I recommend a nutdriver, because you can tighten the standard hose clamps much better than with a screwdriver.
Just a friendly winter tip.
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