Your car's cooling system ensures your car is able to operate properly without overheating. If this system develops an issue, it can mean trouble. Detect a cooling system issue with these tips.

Signs of a Cooling System Issue

You may already know how to detect engine issues or trouble with your tires, but have you ever stopped to consider how your car warns you about developing cooling system issues? To help you be better prepared to detect these, check out these warning signs that point to cooling system problems.

Your Dashboard Light Is On

One of the most obvious signs that there is an issue in your cooling system is when your coolant light turns on in your dashboard. Of course, you have to know which light to look out for in order to address the issue properly. Oftentimes, when the coolant light comes on it's because you're running low on coolant. This is easy enough to fix by topping it off, but that may only be a temporary solution. If your coolant is running low you may actually have a leak. If this is the case, your coolant light will be a recurring issue that will need a more permanent solution.

High Temperatures Under the Hood

Another thing to keep an eye on in your dashboard is your temperature gauge. The needle on this meter will often stay close to the middle, so if it starts to get closer to the far right you may have some overheating troubles. The close it gets to the right, the higher the temperatures are getting under your hood. There are a number of reasons why this may be happening, from low levels of coolant to a malfunctioning radiator. Your best bet is to get your car checked out by a professional.

Steam Coming from the Engine

If you see steam coming out from under your hood, this is a serious cause for concern. At this point, it's very likely that your engine is overheating, causing steam to build up under your hood and escape through the cracks and crevices. Don't ignore this and be sure to pull over and turn off your engine as soon as you can. Once your engine has cooled down a bit, open up your hood to help it cool down faster. Only once things are cool under the hood, check your radiator to see if you're running low on coolant. If you are, top this off so that you can make it to your mechanic for the expert help your car needs. Keeping your car in great condition is often as easy as keeping up with vehicle maintenance. One thing you should never skip if you want your car to perform at its best is a synthetic oil change in Warminster. To find the best products for your next oil change, contact Synthetic Oil Direct at (215) 834-8720. They'll be happy to recommend products like AMSOIL's Signature Series 0W-40 Synthetic Motor Oil. Be sure to also check out their online shop for even more great products.

Leaking Coolant

A small coolant leak may not be the easiest thing to detect, but there are a number of signs you can look out for. Since coolant tends to be bright green, leaks aren't that hard to identify. Small drops of bright green fluid under your car or a pool of a bright green fluid both indicate that you have a leak. If you open your hood and notice what looks like a green glowing fluid on other parts, this is also coolant leaking out of its reservoir. Even if your car hasn't alerted you yet, this can lead to a low level of coolant. Check your radiator and top it off if needed so that you don't run out of fluid and risk your engine overheating. Before you have any issues, head over to your mechanic to get this issue fixed.

White Smoke from the Exhaust

If you notice thick, white smoke coming out of your exhaust pipe, this will likely cause you quite a bit of concern. This thick, white smoke is usually caused your coolant leaking internally and burning in the combustion chamber. You may not detect this before you notice the smoke, but checking on your coolant level can clue you in to the issue. If your coolant level is constantly running low, this means you have a leak somewhere. If you don't notice coolant pooling under your car, chances are its an internal leak. Of course, you're better off getting this check out by your mechanic rather than diagnosing the issue yourself.

Keep Your Engine Healthy With a Synthetic Oil Change in Warminster

To avoid road issues this year, do your best to keep up with your car's maintenance schedule. This means getting synthetic oil changes in Warminster when needed. To find the perfect oil for the job, contact Synthetic Oil Direct at (215) 834-8720.