Summer temps are rising! Do you know what symptoms your car will show when the cooling system is sick? Cooling system failures are a leading cause of vehicle breakdowns, especially during those summer trips. If you notice the vehicle is overheating, leaks, has a sweet smell of antifreeze, or you find yourself constantly adding coolant, your car could be on the road to failure. Do you check your engine coolant regularly? If not, remind yourself that an engine cooling system that doesn’t receive regular maintenance will fail. The cooling system’s job is to take heat away from the engine components and move it to the air outside the car. Your antifreeze temperature can be well over 200 degrees, and if that heat remains inside the engine, things are going to start going wrong. Terribly wrong.

You coolant level should be checked at the reservoir and a 50/50 mix of the correct antifreeze and distilled water should be added if necessary. Just remember to never open it while it’s hot! A visual inspection of the hoses, belts, and radiator will help identify cooling system problems before they become to big to handle. Radiator leaks, bulging hoses, or frayed/cracked belts are clues that the cooling system is in need of a little TLC. Also if your car makes a strange hissing sound or smells like hot antifreeze, it’s probably time to have a mechanic take a look before you find yourself stranded on the side of a road somewhere.

Nothing ruins a summer vacation like a complete engine failure, so keep an eye out for cooling system problems. If your vehicle is in need of service, it’s easy to contact Deryck or Mike in the Service Department at Woody’s. Call us at 660-646-3455 x24 or check out the service page at www.wowwoodys.com | http://www.wowwoodys.com/service-center