Coolant...

[dr. d]

I'll try to get it checked out again and thank you! Sabi po nung mekaniko before, okay naman daw. Wala naman daw hangin at okay naman makina.

in advanced shops, they introduce fluorescent liquid into the radiator, then observe for leaks on the outside using special visualizing equipment.
in local shops, we still cling to the ordinary visible light visualization using strong flashlights, as well as kapa-kapa system in the less-visible and hidden nooks and crannies.
the mechanic would even crawl under the car, looking for drops of coolant.
so what to do with leaking radiator? personally, i would replace it. my logic kasi, "if it leaked now, it is not far into the future, that it will leak again from another place". but it all depends on you, po, whether to repair or to replace. yes yes, i know. it's plastic.

examples of challenges,
in my one car,
one leak was via a perished 5 cm hose hidden by the huge intake manifold over it. coolant was escaping under its metal clamp. the mechanics that inspected the radiator, the engine and hoses, missed it. only mechanics familiar with that engine, would know that such 5 cm length of rubber hose, existed!
another time, it was the water pump. it could not be visually inspected, but a clever hand creeping beneath the overhanging hoses and wirings, exposed it.

the third time was the challenge of challenges! i was losing coolant and overheating, but we could find no leak! finally, an old hand said, "mahina na yang auxiliary fan nyo. palitan nyo na."
i countered, "malakas pa naman ang buga nang hangin!"
"bili po kayo nang bago, at papakita ko kung gaano ka-lakas dapat yan."
i bought one, and lo and behold! he was right! even as my old fan motor was still blowing good and strong, the new one was blowing at least twice as strong.
in retrospect, that fan motor should have been my first suspect, because i was seeing boiling coolant in the overflow cannister. all the evidence was in front of me, and i did not put two and two twogether.
ah well...