How to Fix a Radiator Leak

A leaky radiator can be caused by many things. Insufficient coolant and too much water in the cooling system can cause the internals of the radiator to rust and corrode or hoses can dry out and crack. Whatever the cause of a leaky radiator, there is a simple fix involving the use of pepper that acts to clot the leak and provide a temporary fix. Although this is often thought of as a temporary fix, pepper is capable of effectively clotting a radiator leak permanently.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 2 oz ground pepper
• Coolant

1. Wait until your vehicle is completely cool. Open the coolant reservoir cap and fill it until it reaches the upper mark on the reservoir tank.

2. Open the radiator cap and pour in 1 oz of pepper.

3. Start your engine and allow the vehicle to run. The pepper will be forced, by pressure, to the leak. Because it will not break down or dissolve in the coolant, and because of its weight, it will work its way to the leak in the cooling system.

4. Verify that the radiator is no longer leaking when the engine has reached normal operating temperature. If there is still a slight leak, continue to add pepper to the open radiator cap until the leak stops. Normally, you should not need more than 1 oz of pepper to accomplish this.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not add more than 2 oz of pepper to your radiator or cooling system. The pepper can clot more than the hole you intended to plug and damage the water pump.

References

• Auto Repair For Dummies; For Dummies; 2 edition; 2008

Who Can Help Sponsored

• Need Cash For An Emergency? Auto Repair, Medical or Home Emergency—CashNetUSA.com is here to help you take control.