Cottonwood Auto Repair

Coolant is more than colored fluid. It carries heat, lubricates the water pump, and protects aluminum and sensors from corrosion. When a leak starts, air enters the system, and hot spots form around cylinders and turbo bearings. That can turn a harmless seep into overheating, warped components, and a repair bill that outruns the price of a simple hose or clamp. We see this most often after temperature swings, when old plastic and rubber shrink and harden. What a Coolant Leak Looks and Smells Like A sweet, syrupy odor after parking or at stoplights Colored residue around fittings or along the radiator end tanks A low reservoir level that drops again after topping up Steam or a faint white plume from the grille at idle Damp passenger carpet with a fogged windshield on cold mornings A belt that squeals briefly because coolant mist reached the pulley Where Leaks Tend to Hide Hose ends at clamp ferrules: Rubber hardens and forms hairline cracks tha ... read more