Your car cooling system consists of a number of parts that include the cooling fan, radiator, water pump, thermostat, and a series of hoses. This intricate system has the huge job of regulating the operating temperature of your engine to ensure that, essentially, it doesn’t melt itself. If you begin to notice any of these signs that your cooling system may be in trouble, it’s time to let your Mazda dealer take a look.
1. Visible Coolant Leak
Coolant is often a bright color and easily spotted under your car. Typically bright green, pink, or orange, coolant is a sweet-smelling liquid that, when it leaks, will puddle under your vehicle. If you discover this puddle, then you have discovered a coolant leak. A leak will cause low levels of coolant, which is a top contributor to issues of overheating.
2. White Exhaust Smoke
The presence of excessive amounts of white exhaust smoke is indicative of a cooling system problem. Often, this can be a sign that the coolant is leaking, just not under your car. White exhaust smoke usually means that the leak is happening in the combustion chamber, which is a major issue that needs immediate service.
3. Low Coolant Levels
It is possible to spot a leak before it ends up in a puddle under your car or manifesting as white exhaust smoke. If you make it a habit to check your coolant levels regularly, you will immediately notice if your levels are less than ideal, potentially catching a small issue before it becomes a large one. Coolant does not burn off like engine oil, so there should be no reason for low levels or to need to top-up regularly.
4. Rising Temperature Gauge
Perhaps one of the first and most obvious signs that there is a problem with your cooling system is if the needle in the temperature gauge begins to rise. This feature built into your dashboard is designed to keep you constantly aware of the engine’s temperature status so you can recognize immediately if you need to pull over and let the car cool off.
5. Overheating
If the temperature gauge is not working properly or if you’ve missed the reading altogether, then the next problem that you may encounter is white steam. White steam pouring out from under the hood is a surefire sign of overheating, so turn your car off as soon as it is safe to do so, then bring it in for service.
If there were to be a malfunction or failure of any part of the cooling system, then your car’s engine temperature would quickly rise, potentially heading for destruction. Overheating can cause serious engine damage, so having it serviced immediately is critical in order to minimize the lasting effects. Call or stop by Flood Mazda today to schedule professional cooling system repair, or to just have us take a look if you are concerned about any other part of your vehicle.
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