How to spot dirty engine coolant in your car

 Just like your car's engine oil, your engine coolant plays a critical role in your N Charlotte Toyota's performance. Its job is its name - it keeps your engine cool and prevents it from overheating when you're out on the road. Coolant flows through your car's radiator, water pump, water hoses, and the engine itself to ensure the engine can maintain a low enough temperature to continue running. 

What happens if your engine coolant is dirty? 

If you don't have enough in your car - or if the coolant is too dirty - it can spell big problems for your car's engine. Your engine will overheat and in a lot of cases, suffer catastrophic damage that can be extremely expensive and even irreparable. However, over time your cooling system will accumulate dirt, debris, and other contaminants, all of which end up in the coolant as it flows through the system. Toyota of N Charlotte is here with a quick guide on spotting dirty engine coolant - read on. 

An easy way to check your engine coolant is to pop the hood and look in the coolant reservoir. You can also check the level of engine coolant here to ensure your car has enough. Normal, clean coolant varies in color; it can be green, blue, orange, or even red. However, one common thing you'll notice with ALL clean engine coolant is that it's translucent in color - you can see through it, even though it's a thicker liquid. 

Warning signs your engine coolant is dirty 

Here are some signs your engine coolant is dirty and you need to visit our Charlotte car care center for a cooling system flush and fresh coolant. 

• Your coolant is no longer translucent. You can see dirt or debris in it, or the color has become cloudy or opaque, or even sludgy. 
• Your coolant level light and/or check engine light turn on. 
• Your engine's temperature gauge is in the red, meaning your engine is running hot. 
• You have steam coming from under your car's hood. 
• You have a coolant leak (you'll spot puddles under your car). 

If you notice any of the above things, it's time to hit our Charlotte car care center for a recommended coolant flush. Sure, you can drain the coolant and put fresh coolant in, but that doesn't take care of all of the dirt and grime left in the cooling system's lines, hoses, engine, and water pump. A flush will ensure all of that comes out before you put fresh coolant in, and you should be good to go for another 5 years or so. 

Not only that, when you get a coolant flush, our techs can inspect your entire cooling system to make sure ALL of it is in good enough shape to keep your car's engine cool. This helps head off any major issues before they become big and expensive. 

Let Toyota of N Charlotte answer your engine coolant questions 

Ready to schedule an engine coolant flush or think your car may need more coolant? Visit Toyota of N Charlotte today! We're open seven days a week at 13429 Statesville Road, just off I-77 at exit 23 in Huntersville. You can also schedule online OR call us at (704) 659-2025 today.