Engine Coolant: Keep it Cool, Even in Winter

Engine Coolant: Keep it Cool, Even in Winter

Most people aren’t thinking about keeping things cool during the winter. In fact, most people are thinking about a warm sandy beach rather than nosing in the hood of their car. Yet, keeping your engine cool, even during the blisteringly cold months of winter, is vital to the health of your car and also your wallet. You want to check your engine coolant levels and running temperature at all times.

Virtually all non-electric engines are called internal combustion engines and essentially internalize the explosions that take place in the engine that drives the pistons/cylinders and turns the engine. This along with the added friction of moving parts means that your engine gets red hot while operating. Even more so when operating at high speeds and long distances.

A car that overheats is at extreme risk of breaking down and could cause costly and sometimes catastrophic damage to your cars’ engine.

It is crucial that you pay attention and look for signs that your car might be overheating.

Rising Temperature Gauge

The funny looking gauge on your dashboard that looks like a flag or a buoy in water is your temperature gauge. When you start your car, it typically starts at the coldest reading but after a couple minutes, you’ll see that it starts to climb. If everything is working correctly, the needle should level off near the middle of the gauge. It’s always worth glancing at that needle every so often while driving. If the needle starts to climb or never stops climbing once you start the car, your engine is going to overheat and should be turned off immediately.

A Visible Leak

Engine coolant is a bright green, sweet smelling liquid. If you see any in the snow or pooling in your driveway, call your mechanic and ask for their advise.  It’s likely they will recommend a tow to a garage.

White Steam from your Hood

If your car starts to steam, you should pull over and turn the car off as soon as it’s safe to do so. This is a sign that your coolant is boiling and not doing its job. After a while, you may be able to add more to your system and may want to contact your mechanic.

White Exhaust Smoke

It is common for your car to emit white smoke in the winter months for the first couple of minutes after it starts, but should settle down after a while. If your car continues to emit white smoke well after you’ve started your car, there could be an internal coolant leak in your car. In this scenario, the coolant is burning up in the combustion chamber of your engine and the liquid vapors are being expelled out of your exhaust. After a while, your coolant levels will be too low and your engine will start to overheat.

Low Coolant Levels

Generally speaking, you should always keep an eye on your coolant levels in your car. Pop the hood every so often and give everything a once over. Additionally, a good mechanic should always check fluid levels as a general practice when a car is in their shop. Feel free to ask and confirm that this check is being performed.

Coolant issues are no joke and the repairs associated with an overheated engine, like a blown head gasket, won’t have you laughing. BBack Car Care performs a comprehensive visual inspection of every car that enters their garage. Any signs of low coolant will be checked out and a recommendation for repair will be provided.

BBack Car Care is also one of the few AAA approved car care centers in the Doylestown, PA area, which means that it will save you money having your vehicle towed to our garage as a AAA member.

Have a leak or suspect any engine coolant issues? Give us a call or request an appointment online today.