Why a coolant leak is a real worry for your car in Hamilton
If you’ve ever been stuck crawling along Te Rapa Road in the Hamilton arvo heat, you’ll know cars cop a real hammering here. Between all the stop-start on Wairere Drive, potholes out toward Rototuna, and icy mornings in winter, your engine works bloody hard just to keep its cool. That’s where coolant steps in. When your engine gets hot, it pumps that liquid from the coolant tank (most cars tuck it away near the engine bay) right around the motor and back through the radiator, sort of like a runner taking a breather. Keeps things from boiling over.
If there’s a leak, though, you’re in trouble. That cooling magic disappears, and next thing you know, the engine’s running hotter than a Morrinsville paddock in January. We see all sorts in the workshop – Toyotas coming in from Gordonton with puddles under them, women in their Volkswagen Polos getting a weird sweet smell after a run out to Cambridge, mates with old Subaru Outbacks or Suzuki Swifts boiling over after a short trip to Chartwell. If the coolant’s leaking, you’re literally rolling the dice with engine damage.
Still not sure how it all works under there? Give this a read if you want to see the nitty gritty about engine cooling.
How do you know it’s a coolant leak?
Temp gauge going up too high? Seen your temp needle creep up right past halfway? That’s your engine yelling for help – usually means it’s missing coolant. Honestly, if you spot that on Avalon Drive or halfway between Tamahere and Hillcrest, best to pull over and let it cool down. Keep driving, and it can kill your engine, especially these modern European jobs.
Could also be something else, like:
- Thermostat jammed shut
- Head gasket’s popped its clogs
- Coolant way past its expiry, gunged up or rusty
Puddles under the car? See fresh puddles under your Honda Fit or Nissan Qashqai parked up outside The Base? Grab a tissue and dab it: coolant’s usually easy to spot, proper bright green, orange, sometimes a dodgy brown if it’s super old. Oil’s slippery, coolant’s sweet-smelling. Not sure if it’s coolant or something else? Check this for tips on leak types.
Radiator leaking? Some folks bring in their Hyundai i30s from Horsham Downs with leaks in the radiator itself – top tank, bottom tank, maybe the cap’s dodgy or there’s a crack in the core. You’ll lose coolant quick as.
Waterpump’s gone? We see this a lot with Mazda Atenzas and some BMW 320is, usually the gasket or maybe the bearing gives up. With the engine off and a bit of pressure-testing, one of our techs can find those sneaky leaks.
Head gasket stuffed? Sometimes you get coolant leaking right into the oil, or spraying out the side of the head – especially in older Euros or anything that’s had a rough life. That’s serious – time to pop in straight away.
Heater only blows cold? Noticed your Toyota Yaris heater feels freezing even with the dial cranked in July? Could be low on coolant. That hot air comes from the coolant running through the heater core, so no coolant, no warmth.
Low coolant tank? Keep opening the bonnet and spotting the reservoir empty, even after topping up? Something’s leaking, no question.
Coolant leak checks and radiator repairs – Hamilton and beyond
Keep running a car without coolant and you’ll end up needing a lot more than just a WOF Hamilton-style check. We see it all, from brand new hybrids to classic Mitsis, and every single time we spot a coolant leak, we get it sorted quick. One of our technicians will hunt down that leak, get it sorted, and refill you with fresh coolant that’s right for NZ conditions. That way, whether you’re zipping out to Raglan, stuck in Dinsdale traffic, or doing the school run in Fairfield, your engine stays cool whatever the weather’s doing.
Need your coolant leak diagnosed or sorted? Flick us a message or drop by Grimmer Motors. We’ll make sure your car is set for the next Hamilton summer – or those foggy, freezing winter mornings!