Signs of a Cracked Radiator in Your Infiniti

by techplusaadmin October 4, 2019

While European imported cars are still hot news in the U.S., popular models such as Mercedes, Porsche, and BMW are having to make room for the rapidly-increasing popularity of Japanese cars. Just one of the Japanese manufacturers currently making waves in the automobile world is Infiniti. Offering the same sleek lines and cool designs as Audi, Infiniti also brings Japanese advancements in technology to the forefront in all their cars. Infinitis have smart innovations and gadgets designed to make the driving experience more enjoyable than ever.

Innovations aside, at its very bones in regards to key parts, every car is the same. They all need four wheels, an engine, an electrical system, exhaust, etc. These all need proper care. Without routine maintenance, even the most high-tech of gadgets will fail over time. In this article we will take a look at some of the signs and symptoms that your Infiniti’s radiator may have become cracked and discuss what to do to best repair the situation.

What does the radiator do?

The radiator is found under the hood of your Infiniti and is responsible for preventing your car’s engine from overheating. When combusting fuel, your engine produces a lot of heat. If this is not removed somehow, your engine will overheat and fail. The radiator circulates coolant around the engine to prevent this from occurring. The coolant absorbs the heat in its cycle around the engine and then returns to the radiator. The radiator cools the heated coolant and readies it to circulate through the engine again.

As you can see, this constant cooling cycle is essential to a healthy engine, and if the radiator becomes cracked, coolant will leak, and this process will be disrupted.

Signs and Symptoms

The symptoms listed below are all indicative of a cracked radiator. They should be investigated and repaired quickly to prevent any further damage to the radiator, or more importantly, to the engine.

1. Coolant Leaks

The radiator and coolant system is supposed to be a closed circuit, so it goes without saying that if you find coolant anywhere else, you have a leak somewhere. One of the prime places coolant will leak is through cracks in the radiator. If you notice drops of fluid below your car after it has been parked, then stop and investigate. There are many different types of fluid that can leak from your vehicle, but coolant is typically brightly coloured; usually red, blue, green, or yellow.

2. Overheating

If your Infiniti starts to regularly overheat, then it is likely you have some issue with your radiator or coolant system. In the case of a cracked radiator, this will usually be because the coolant has leaked out of your radiator to a level that there is no longer enough coolant to properly circulate your engine and keep its temperature down, resulting in overheating.

3. Low Coolant Level

On a similar vein to the point above, a low coolant level or coolant that seems to regularly need to be topped up is indicative of a leak somewhere in the system, potentially via a crack in the radiator.

4. Sludge in the Radiator

If the radiator goes bad for whatever reason, it is likely the coolant will go bad too. Coolant is typically red, yellow, green or blue. A bad radiator will usually discolor the coolant, making it rusty or dull or dirty in color. If this occurs, then the coolant will become sludge-like and unable to correctly circulate through the engine. This can be due to a variety of radiator problems, such as a crack.

Seek Repairs for a Cracked Radiator

If you suspect an issue with your radiator or notice your Infiniti is starting to overheat, then you should seek repairs as quickly as possible. Your engine is a very expensive piece of machinery, and regular overheating can cause damage or warping to occur, resulting in an engine which does not work properly or even starts to fail. This can result in a very expensive repair bill, which can be totally avoided by being proactive when problems first occur.

If you are an Infiniti owner living in or around Phoenix, Paradise Valley, McCormick Ranch, or Scottsdale, AZ, and you are worried about the condition of your radiator or coolant system, then come into Tech Plus Automotive, where our experienced and friendly team will be happy to help you out.