How To Identify Car Leaks And Mend It?

A car uses many types of liquids inside to make it work perfectly. Any spillage is a loss and risky because it may cause trouble on the way.

It can happen to many car owners and it might have happened to you. As you walk into a car garage, it is usually the smell of leaking engine oil that draws your attention if the car is under the shutters for long. It is well known that fluids of different kinds in the car are for good upkeep of the vehicle. Sometimes some fluids spillover or simply seep through, making puddles outside. One should be able to spot it and identify which part of the vehicle has developed some problems. At least, one should be able to guess so that the car may be sent to the mechanic. The problem should be nipped at the bud before it takes up a big issue involving a lot of repair costs and wastage of time and energy. You may have a look at the following list of fluids used in a vehicle that often oozes out to the owner's dismay:

1. Coolant

When you can smell a distinct sweet odour from a leakage, it is mostly a leakage of the coolant. The colour of the coolant is usually green. The consistency of it usually is thick with a slimy feel. Coolant leak is often the most common car leak that can be mended very easily. If not taken care of, it might cause overheating of the engine with the resultant car breakdown by the roadside.

A coolant leak is possible at any side or anywhere around a vehicle because there is a coolant hose that snakes across the engine. The most commonplace, from where coolant leaks, is the radiator of the car. The radiator pumps the coolant around for bringing about that balance in the car heat. You should see the front and behind of the radiator because those are the most likely places for a leakage. If the area over the radiator is not showing any leakages, you can have a look at the reservoir of the coolant. While checking the radiator for the coolant reserve, let the engine cool off for a while before you uncap the radiator.

2. Water

The car AC draws in moisture from inside the cabin of the car and drains it out through rubber hoses. The drawing and dispelling happen frequently and frantically on hot and humid days. You may find a steady drip of liquid from under the car's front or the back. It depends where the hoses of the AC are fitted. In smaller cars, there is a single pipe, usually at the front while in the SUVs; there are two hoses from the AC, one in the front and another one at the back. So, you might find water dripping or falling from both ends. There is nothing to panic about if the leakage is due to this reason. Hence, if you spot a water puddle under the car, most likely it is the AC that is responsible and there is no worry.

3. Engine oil

Engine oil is another fluid that can drip down from a car. It is of different colours. Usually, it appears black especially if the oil is old. Engine oil keeps dripping from different parts of the engine and that can be considered normal. If oil drips from under the car, the car should be subject to inspection by a reliable mechanic. A dried-up engine can cause extreme distress to the machine and the owner alike. You may expect huge or irreversible damage if the problem remains unattended for long.

4. Transmission Oil

it is as important as engine oil if not more. This fluid is like a lubricant and acts as a coolant too. It is responsible for the smooth gear shift. Many times transmission fluid loss is grossly neglected resulting in the loss of a huge fortune.