A radiator failure can cause your engine to overheat, which can then lead to a seized engine. If this happens, you'll need to rebuild or replace the entire engine rather than just the radiator. By observing the signs of a failing radiator, you can limit the damage to your car.
If your vehicle's radiator fails, not enough coolant will reach your engine, causing it to overheat. Driving with a broken or cracked radiator—and an overheated engine—is very dangerous. We recommend you contact your local Rad Air as soon as you suspect a problem with your car's cooling system.
How long can I drive my car without a working radiator? A car with a broken radiator might drive for only a few minutes before its engine overheats. How long it lasts will depend on how much you work the engine, how fast you drive, how hot the day is and how little coolant is actually inside your cooling system.
If the radiator is leaking coolant, you should not drive it. Because there's a chance of damaging the engine, in case it overheats. If it didn't overheat previously, than the engine should be good.
A faulty radiator can lead to serious engine damage that can affect your safety and that of your passengers. Pull over and call for emergency help if needed or take your car down to an auto repair store promptly.
Repairing your radiator would be preferable if the damage isn't severe. An expert can evaluate the overall condition of the part, ensuring it won't fail again shortly. How badly is it damaged? Evaluating the damage to the radiator is an essential step to conclude whether it would require a replacement or just a repair.
If you need to replace your radiator, you can expect to spend between $700 and $1,000. You can save on labor costs (about $300) by replacing the radiator yourself if you're experienced with auto DIY jobs. Keep in mind this is a big undertaking that will likely take all day.
Since the air passes through the radiator, if the fins are bent or dented in any way, the air won't be able to get enough cool air to the engine.
In the early stages, only a small level of discoloured water will drip from the rad, so it is not usually an emergency from the outset. That said, you should tend to a radiator leaking water as quickly as possible to prevent the situation escalating and stop any further issues.
The most likely result of not replacing a defective radiator in good time is that the leak will worsen to the point where serious engine over heating is inevitable.
Radiators can, however, explode in the sense that they crack open or burst in a dangerous splash of hot coolant when under extreme pressure and temperatures. If this happens to your radiator, it can cause catastrophic damage to your vehicle and pose a serious threat to your safety.
Car insurance doesn't typically cover mechanical issues unless they're related to a covered peril.
Often, when your car radiator is clogged or worn out, it can lead to issues such as engine overheating or, in more severe cases, an engine blowout. You are likely to observe strange noises coming from the radiator or notice a decrease in performance.
The one thing you shouldn't do, however, is continue to drive your car. If you continue topping up a car leaking coolant, you'll not only waste your money on fluid, but pollute your drive and the roads, putting animals at risk in the process.
You can only drive an overheating car about a quarter-mile or 30-60 seconds. If you notice any of the warning signs mentioned above, it's not advisable to continue your journey. Instead, you should call a recovery truck and get towed to a local garage for a repair.
Minor repairs are usually fairly simple and inexpensive, while major repairs can be more complex and may involve replacing the entire radiator. Ultimately, the best way to determine whether your radiator needs to be repaired or replaced is to bring it in to a mechanic for a diagnosis.
Is radiator replacement a big job? Well, it isn't the easiest part of vehicle mechanics, with the average radiator replacement job taking between 2 hours and up to 5 hours. The time to disconnect and remove the existing radiator can be complicated, and installing the radiator replacement can be complicated as well.
Depends on the car. Could be half an hour to drain the coolant, replace the radiator and fill it. Or it could take longer than that just to replace the radiator, plus and hour just to bleed it after refilling. But it shouldn't take more than 2–3 hours.
Head gaskets typically fail due to an engine overheating one too many times. This could be because the engine block expands at a different rate than the cylinder head when the engine is warming up or if the engine has had issues with overheating due to a clogged radiator, coolant leak or other issue.
There are a few signs that your radiator might be blocked. If your car's engine is running hot, this is a definite sign that something is wrong. You might also notice that your radiator hose is hot to the touch or that there's steam from under your car's hood. These are all clear signs for radiator replacement.
Driving with a radiator leak is a dangerous operation, as it will very likely cause your engine to overheat. If you are driving down the road and notice your engine is overheating, we recommend you pull over immediately and let the vehicle cool down. While it's cooling, call us to schedule an appointment.