You’re driving down the road one day in Columbia SC, and you hear a hissing sound come from underneath the hood. As you get out of the car, you see steam from the grill. When you open the hood, you notice hot coolant all over the engine, and you have to add water just to get the car back home. As you look closer, you can see coolant dripping from a hose. This kind of auto repair is not too hard and here are some things you can do to stop that leak.
The Benefits of Vinyl Electrical Tape
If you can see the leak, wipe off the hose and wrap some tape around it. This emergency auto repair may stop or slow the leak enough so you can get back home to Columbia SC.
Check All Radiator Hoses
When you get back home, put on a glove and squeeze each hose to see if you can find any more leaks. You’ll need to drain some coolant from the system for a top hose and the entire system to change a bottom hose. If the other hose is hard or brittle, you should change it too. Columbia SC summers are hard on hoses.
A Word about Hose Clamps
To remove an old hose, take off the clamp and grab the hose and twist it. You may have to pry the end with a flat tip screwdriver. Slice stuck hoses with a utility knife. When you change hoses, buy new screw-type hose clamps. They are easier to install and remove than the standard squeeze clamps and can simplify your future auto repair tasks.
Use the Right Kind of Coolant
Check with auto manufacturer recommendations for coolant. Some call for green while others take an orange or purple coolant. If you use the wrong coolant, you could damage cooling system components.
