Is your car's coolant dirty?

 Your engine coolant is critical to your car's performance. That's why we're always telling you to check it and fill it when necessary - it keeps your engine cool and prevents overheating, which can result in catastrophic damage to your car. Coolant flows through your Toyota's radiator, water pump, hoses, and the engine itself to ensure that everything under the hood maintains a cool enough temperature to function normally. 

Why is engine coolant so important? 

If your engine coolant level is too low or the coolant is too dirty to do its job, it can cause major issues for your Orlando Toyota. Your engine can overheat, as we mentioned, resulting in extremely expensive if not irreparable damage to your vehicle. And not only does your coolant run out over time, it also gets dirty. Remember, it's flowing through the cooling system and while it does, it picks up dirt, debris, and contaminants. So how can you check it? 

First, you'll want to check your coolant level. The easiest way to do this is to turn your Orlando Toyota off, pop the hood, and physically look in the coolant reservoir to see where the level is (there should be a line indicating how high the level should be for optimal performance). Once you've assessed the level, you can check the color of the engine coolant. Normal coolant ranges in color; it can be blue, green, red, or orange depending on which one you use. Rule of thumb, though: it should be translucent (you can see through it). If it's cloudy, opaque, or sludgy, it's dirty and needs to be changed out. Dirty engine coolant becomes thicker and can't flow as easily; it also can't do its job of cooling the engine properly. 

Here are a few other warning signs that your engine coolant is dirty: 

• Your coolant level light and/or check engine light comes on in your dash 
• You have steam coming out from under the hood of your Orlando Toyota 
• You have a coolant leak, which results in puddles under the car of the same color as your engine coolant 
• Your engine's temperature gauge is in the red (your car isn't running cool enough) 

If you notice any of the above signs, it can indicate that your coolant is dirty and you need to visit the Toyota of Orlando auto service center. Our techs can help! In this scenario, it's best to do a coolant flush. And no, we're not trying to upsell you - hear us out. You can drain all the old coolant out and put new coolant in, but that doesn't get rid of the residual dirt and grime left in the lines, hoses, engine, and radiator. A flush will push all of that out so when you put fresh coolant in, it'll stay cleaner longer (saving you time and money). 

Schedule engine coolant service at Toyota of Orlando 

Think you need auto service regarding your engine coolant? Schedule it at our Orlando Toyota service center today. You can schedule online, call (407) 298-4500, or swing by! We're open seven days a week with the longest service hours in Central Florida at 3575 Vineland Road, just off I-4 near the Millenia Mall.