How to Stop a Radiator Leak
Having a working radiator in your car helps to keep your engine stay cool and work smoothly. Should you discover that your radiator is leaking, it is vital that you address the problem as soon as you can. Luckily stopping the leak in the radiator is an easy thing to do.
What You Will Need:
- Stop-leak product
- Safety glasses
- Drip Pan
- Engine Coolant
- Rags
- Head to your local auto supply store and purchase your chosen product to stop radiator leaks.
- Discover where the leak is located by running the car and observing where the fluid leaks out.
- Turn off the vehicle and give it appropriate time to cool off completely.
- Set a drip pan underneath the radiator to catch leaking fluid. This may take some time as you want the radiator to be as empty as possible before adding your stop leak product.
- Using the rags cover your hand and loosen the cap of the radiator. Most caps must be turn counterclockwise for removal. Place cap in a spot where you won’t misplace it.
- Start the car’s engine and allow it to reach operating temperature. As the temperature rises, you should notice that the level of coolant drops.
- Pour the stop leak product into the radiator and replace the cap.
- Pour extra coolant into the overflow/fill container until the fill line has been reached.
- Check the directions on the stop leak product for engine run time and allow the engine to run for that stated time.
- Check for the leak again after the allotted time has passed. Should the leak have been stopped your car is ready to drive. If the leak is still present take it to your local mechanic for fixing.