What to do if your radiator is leaking?

Question

Is it true that turning the heater up as high as possible will help to blow hot air off the motor and help to keep you going with the water until You get to a garage?....

Lynnie

Answer 1

The conventional heater on your car is basically a small radiator inside the cabin and a fan. So yes, in the event of an engine heating more than it should turning the heater temperature and fan speed to the max with the windows open will help it cool down slightly. The effectiveness of this probably depends on the specific car model - or more specifically the size of heater matrix and fan power. So don't rely on it by any means to drive an overheating car, but it might save the engine in a pinch.

However this will only work if there is at least some coolant in the radiator. If you have a leak on the road and absolutely have to keep going - try to keep the cooling system as full as possible to maintain circulation. A dry system won't cool the engine, so put some coolant in. If coolant is unavailable - buy water (preferably distilled) at the nearest stop and pour it in, just make sure to drain it and replace with coolant mixture when you get the leak fixed. Make frequent stops to check the level and add more when required.

Be extra careful while adding coolant to an engine of a car that has been recently driven. Coolant will be scalding hot and opening the radiator/expansion tank may release pressure in the system, possibly spraying coolant and burning you! Wait a few minutes to let the engine cool a little after turning it off and open the cap super slowly.

You can also try to seal the leak with the engine off the best you can to slow it down if you can find it (again, be careful, coolant will be hot). Driving calmly but fast (low engine speed, high gear) will help, as the airflow to the main radiator is higher and you'll get to your destination faster.