

Therefore, a coolant leak, whether minute or massive, should worry you. Sometimes, the leaks may go unnoticed, especially if your car is not overheating. The abuse causes deterioration in your radiator, resulting in a coolant leak. The cooling system is prone to incredible abuse due to the high temperature and pressure in the cooling system. It also lubricates the water pump and prevents water damage. It reduced the chance of encountering an overheated engine while driving. This is a more serious condition that will need sorting quickly.Coolant plays an irreplaceable role in ensuring your BMW engine operates in an optimal environment. If you are getting white smoke coming from your exhaust pipe, it means water is getting into the engine block and mixing with the engine oil. Leaks do have a tendency to get worse over time though. You can usually ‘get away with it’ for a while, providing that you keep checking coolant levels and top up when necessary.
#Coolant light on but not overheating crack
The result of this is that any weak areas of the coolant system may start to leak water.Ī leak can be either internal, such as a leaky gasket, or external, such as a hose failure or crack in the radiator, water pump etc. The hotter the coolant gets, the more it expands and the more the coolant system comes under pressure. In general, the coolant system is a sealed unit and when working properly, should rarely need topping up with coolant (50% antifreeze and 50% water).Īs you drive faster, the engine gets hotter and as the engine gets hotter, so does the coolant. When you say you add 1/4 liter of coolant when driving over a long distance, how far is a long distance?


The usual cause is that there’s insufficient coolant in the system to keep the engine running at optimal temperatures. Sometimes this warning light may flash.Ĭoolant, or antifreeze as it’s also known, consists of a mixture of water and ethylene glycol and constantly circulates the engine to keep it cool (see what is engine coolant for a detailed explanation). What is Engine Coolant / Antifreeze & when to Use ItĪ red (occasionally yellow on some vehicles) engine temperature warning light that stays on or comes on while driving means there’s a coolant fault or your engine is overheating and requires immediate attention.What is a Catalytic Converter and How they Work.
