Ever popped your car’s hood and found the radiator dry as a bone, but the coolant reservoir full? It’s frustrating, confusing, and could spell trouble. A cooling system isn’t just about pouring antifreeze in and calling it a day. Sometimes, there’s more to the situation than meets the eye. Understanding the Coolant System You pour coolant into the reservoir, expecting it to do its job. The radiator, reservoir, and coolant hoses work together to keep your engine from overheating. But, there could be times when you notice coolant in the overflow tank but none in the radiator. That’s when you…
Author: Daniel Oman
You pop open your car’s hood to check things, and bam! You notice your coolant level is low. Not just a little bit, but more than you’d expect. But wait, no puddle under the car, no obvious leaks. So where’s it all going? It’s not unusual, and you’re definitely not alone in this. Coolant Can Evaporate Slowly Without You Noticing The first thing that could be happening, and it’s not as weird as it sounds, is that your coolant might be slowly evaporating. While coolant systems are supposed to be sealed and efficient, a tiny bit of evaporation is still…
Coolant plays a major role in keeping your engine at the right temperature, but if your vehicle is burning through it faster than it should, something’s wrong. It’s common to notice a coolant leak or find yourself refilling the reservoir more often. Common Reasons Your Car Consumes Too Much Coolant Cars aren’t supposed to burn through coolant. If your car is losing coolant, it’s usually due to an external or internal problem. Here are some possible reasons: 1. Leaking Radiator or Radiator Hoses One of the most obvious causes is a leak in the radiator or its hoses. Over time,…
If you’ve got a pickup or any vehicle with an open cargo bed, you’ve probably come across a tonneau cover. But why is it even called a “tonneau”? Strange word, isn’t it? To fully understand this, you’d need to look back into the history of cars, carriages, and even some French roots. The History of the Word “Tonneau” Where It All Began The term “tonneau” comes from the French language, meaning “barrel” or “cask”. Back in the early 1900s, automobiles were still a new thing, and they had exposed rear passenger areas, often shaped like barrels. These open-back vehicles usually…
Seeing an empty coolant reservoir can raise questions about whether you can simply pour in more coolant or if there’s more to the process. You might be tempted to just grab a bottle and fill it up, but there are a few things you need to consider before doing so. This guide walks through everything you need to know, step by step, so you can do it safely and avoid bigger problems down the road. What Does the Coolant Reservoir Do? The coolant reservoir is a key part of your vehicle’s cooling system. It holds excess coolant that circulates around…
Having no coolant in your reservoir when your car is cold might sound like a big problem. It’s one of those issues that can cause anxiety if you don’t fully understand what’s going on. But before you get too worried, let’s go through some key reasons why this happens and how to fix it. There are multiple things that could be causing this situation, and it’s important to figure out which one is relevant to your vehicle. Coolant Levels Drop Naturally When Cold One thing to keep in mind is that coolant contracts as it cools down. When the engine…
You open the hood, peek at the coolant reservoir, and notice it’s bone dry, yet there are no obvious puddles underneath the car. If you’ve checked thoroughly and don’t see any leak, it can be frustrating to figure out where that coolant is disappearing. But this is a more common problem than you’d think, and there could be several reasons why the coolant reservoir is empty without any visible leak. How Coolant Disappears Without a Visible Leak Sometimes, it’s not as simple as a leak in a hose or the radiator. Coolant loss can happen without leaving obvious signs, like…
It’s stressful seeing the coolant light on when you know the coolant tank is full. You might wonder what’s really going on. Don’t worry, there could be a few reasons behind it. It’s not always as simple as low fluid levels, but there’s still something wrong with your system. 01. Faulty Coolant Level Sensor One of the most common causes of the coolant light being on, despite a full tank, is a malfunctioning coolant level sensor. The sensor is designed to monitor the amount of coolant in the tank. However, these sensors can fail or give inaccurate readings. Over time,…
When your low coolant light pops up, but you’ve already checked and your coolant level is full, it feels confusing. You might start to wonder if there’s a bigger issue. Don’t panic yet—this is actually a pretty common problem. There are multiple reasons this could be happening. Let’s go over them, and we’ll try to answer the question. Sensor Issues: A Common Culprit A major reason for a false low coolant light is often a problem with the coolant level sensor. The sensor is designed to detect when coolant levels drop below the required amount. But if the sensor itself…
If you’ve noticed that your car runs better with the temperature sensor unplugged, you’re not alone. Many people have experienced this strange improvement in performance, leaving them wondering what’s going on under the hood. It’s not as simple as it sounds, though. There’s a complex relationship between the engine temperature sensor (also known as the coolant temperature sensor) and how your vehicle’s ECU (engine control unit) adjusts fuel injection, timing, and other key parameters. What Does the Temp Sensor Do? First, it’s important to understand what this sensor actually does. The temperature sensor monitors the engine’s coolant temperature and sends…