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Step 1
Coolant is combustible. Check the coolant levels in your vehicle when it is cool. If the engine is hot, it could explode coolant when you open the cap.
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Step 2
Find the reservoir marked coolant under the hood. Look on the side of it for a fill line. It usually says 'cold level' or has a mark where the level must be when the engine has cooled.
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Step 3
Add a little coolant to the fill line, and look for any coolant in the overflow chamber located below the reservoir.
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Step 4
Look back under the hood in a day or two to see if the coolant level has gone down again. If it has a leak is a possible cause.
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Step 5
Keep an eye on your temperature gauge. A car loosing coolant runs hotter than normal. If there is an unusual odor or smoke, that is also an indicator of trouble with the coolant. Get the car to a shop for further inspection.
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Step 6
Note any spills or leaks under the places you park. When you see a puddle of green colored fluid it is typically a leak. Wave your hand six inches from the puddle to smell it. Coolant has a smell that some describe as sulfur or sweet.
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Step 7
Listen for a whistling sound. An engine leaking coolant may make a high pitched boiling sound.
Comments
anniefb said
on 3/22/2008 today i went to check my water in my 1989 Nissan, Pulsar and i noticed there was green fluid in the water. what could that be? could it be coolant? and what does that mean if it is leaking into my water compartment? should i not drive it until I can get my mechanic to check it? thanks heaps.
Anna, Australia.