Cooling System Service in Kansas City, MO

A new radiator, a hose, a water pump or a thermostat goes in, the system is refilled, and a few days later the coolant reservoir is lower than it was when the car was collected. The natural conclusion is that the repair has failed or something else is leaking.

Often neither is true. When a cooling system is opened, air gets in. Most of it is removed when the system is filled and bled, but small pockets can hide in the engine, the heater core or high points in the hoses. Over the first few drives, as the coolant heats, circulates and cools again, that air works its way out and the coolant moves in to take its place. The reservoir level drops by the amount of air that has escaped.

That is the system settling, not failing.

Settling happens once, in the first few days, and then the level holds steady. There are no drips under the car and no sweet smell.

A problem keeps going. The level falls again after you top it up, there is a damp patch under the front of the car, or the temperature gauge climbs higher than usual.

Check the reservoir with the engine cold, every couple of days, against the marks on the side. Never open the radiator cap on a hot engine. If the level has dropped a little once, top it up to the cold mark with the coolant type specified for the vehicle. If it drops again, or the gauge rises, call the store rather than continuing to top up.

• A temperature gauge that climbs in traffic or on a hot day.
• Coolant that needs topping up regularly.
• Weak heat from the heater in winter.

The national cooling system page covers what to do if the gauge goes into the red. Warm air from the vents in summer is A/C service, and a fault inside the engine itself is engine repair, both here.

Osage Beach and Springfield also offer cooling system service.

The Kansas City store runs sixteen services and is managed by Richard Kerber.

See the national cooling system page for all 33 locations.