Your radiator will most likely be losing water because the valve or spindle is loose, or damaged. Or, alternatively, the inside of the radiator has rusted and caused small holes that are allowing water to leak out.
The most common emergency fix for a leaking radiator is to use a radiator stop leak product. These products are designed to seal small leaks in the radiator and can usually be found at your local automotive store. Another way is to use a patch kit to patch the leak.
Driving a car with a busted radiator is not advisable. The radiator plays a crucial role in the vehicle's cooling system, helping to regulate the engine's temperature. If the radiator is damaged or leaking, the engine can overheat, which can lead to severe damage, including warped cylinder heads or a blown head gasket.
If is leaking under the radiator, then you either have a hole or crack in the radiator or a split lower radiator hose. If it is leaking from the bottom front of the engine, it still could be a radiator hose or possibly the water pump.
If a cylinder head gasket has blown between the water or oil passage and the outside of the engine, the result can be a simple coolant or oil leak. This is the least dire version of a blown head gasket, but is serious nonetheless.
If your car is leaking water underneath, you'll be relieved to know that this is not likely to be a cause for concern! The most frequent cause of a puddle under the car when parked is the air conditioning leaking, although it could also be a coolant leak or an issue with your window washers.
Radiator repair costs $350 on average, but pricing often ranges from $100 to $500 based on the radiator type, material, and issue. Radiator repair costs can range from $5 for simple DIY fixes to $600 for major issues, but most people pay around $350.
Gaskets and Seals
One common place of a coolant leak is the radiator pan gasket.
If you do not have proper radiator coolant with you, then you can top up your radiator with water in an emergency — but only in an emergency. Water is not a good substitute for coolant because of its long-term effects on your vehicle's health. But it is better than nothing.
A rusted and corroded radiator
If the corrosion gets really bad, it can cause holes to appear at the bottom of your radiator. These holes normally start very small, so you can usually notice a small amount of brownish water leaking out before it becomes an emergency situation.
It could be a leaking hose or a radiator hole. Solution: Check to see if any coolant is leaking from your hoses. If you find coolant flowing out of the hose(s), replace them. It's a simple fix if you find coolant leaking from your thermostat.
Use a commercial leak sealant. Start by ensuring the engine is off and cool. Remove the radiator cap and pour the contents of the leak sealant directly into the cooling system. Top it off with a coolant and water mixture if your vehicle's engine is currently low.
It's not normal for a car to lose coolant while parked. If you notice a significant loss of coolant without any visible leaks, it could indicate a problem with the cooling system such as a leaky radiator, hose, or a faulty water pump.
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.
If you find coolant leaking from the bottom of the radiator, the cause is a water pump that no longer works properly.
If you can locate a drip on a hose, the engine block or can see a radiator leak, and there's a pool of coolant under the car, then it's an external leak. If there are no puddles beneath the vehicle, yet the coolant level is dropping, you have an internal leak, which means the coolant is leaking into the engine.
The ratio of water to antifreeze in engine coolant is usually 50/50, but it can be as high as 70% water and as low as 30% antifreeze. The main difference between engine coolant and antifreeze is that engine coolant is a mixture of water and antifreeze, whereas antifreeze is an ethylene glycol-based liquid.
Expect to pay anything from £50 - £600 to fix a serious coolant leak from your radiator or cooling system in general. However there are a few other components that can cause leaks, we discuss those in more detail below.
Without this system, your engine would overheat and melt and your car would be out of commission. For this reason, a radiator leak is a serious issue that signals a malfunction of this important cooling system. If you suspect your radiator has a leak, it's definitely better not to drive.
Using a commercial product, like Bar's Leaks, offers a more reliable seal and avoids any additional damage to your vehicle, but there are a few household items you can use to fix your radiator temporarily in case of an emergency. First, an easy solution for most leaks is commercial leak sealant.
Your vehicle's head gasket seals the space between its cylinder head and engine block. If the head gasket fails, coolant, and engine oil may mix. You may also notice that coolant is leaking from the bottom of the engine and dripping onto the ground. Either way, a blown head gasket can be disastrous for your engine.
Some radiator leaks will be easy to spot — such as a puddle underneath the radiator — but others not so much. It's best to check the radiator from every angle, not just from above, and pay particular attention to seams and the bottom. Rust inside the radiator or holes from road debris also can cause coolant leaks.