Should You be Driving Your Car Without a Coolant?

Posted on: May 16, 2022 | | Written by:

Should You be Driving Your Car Without a Coolant?

Publication date: May 13, 2022. EST READ TIME: 3 MIN

A car is a machine and its working depends on various parts and the engine is the main one. The engine works efficiently with a system and this makes each and every part of it very important. One such part is the coolant. The engine needs the coolant to keep running and this makes the coolant an important part of the car. Coolants are consumables and are not a part of the car insurance but these are very essential to ensure the car is running properly.

As the coolant is a critical fluid but hearing of the leakage is very common. Coolants can be expensive and they are costlier when it comes to luxury cars. This can lead to the question that how long can you drive a car without coolant? The question has two aspects, how long will the car run for and second and more importantly, how safe it is. A simple answer will be that you should never run a car without a coolant as this will heat the car up and can cause damage to the critical and secondary parts. Let us discuss different aspects of a coolant and understand if you should be driving your car without a coolant.

Need of a Coolant

We will first understand why a car needs a coolant. As everyone knows a car is essentially a machine and the engine tends to get heated up while working. Excessive heat is not good for the health of the engine, and the coolant takes the heat away and keeps the engine cool. The coolant absorbs the heat and maintains a temperature to avoid overheating and damage. The coolant also avoids the freezing of the water in the car cooling system in winters. As the coolant is important in summers and winters and critical for the functioning of the car, it should be the correct one and be used in the right way.

How Long Can You Drive A Car Without Coolant?

Now let us come to the main part. We know a coolant is important but what if it finishes or leaks. Is it ok to drive a car without the coolant?

Once you know what coolant is and what is its relevance to the working of a car, you will understand that the answer is not for long and ideally never. When you drive a car without the coolant, it becomes risky for the engine and the other parts of the car. Once you realise there is no coolant in the car, it is best to stop using it.

New cars with high-end technology, detect the level of coolant and cut off when it is low. This way they can keep a check on the temperature of the engine and avoid damage. When the temperature rises and the engine shuts down to avoid any further issues.

But this feature is not there in some cars and thus, a constant check is needed. The following parts get affected when the car runs out of coolant:

● Head gaskets

● Cylinder head

● Water pumps

● Engine cylinder

● Crank failure

● Connector rods

The repair and replacement of these parts are expensive and might not be covered in car insurance. The car must not be driven when the level of coolant is less than the minimum. This will avoid damage to the car.

Driving a car without a coolant is unsafe and also bad for the machine. Excess heat can spoil other parts and this can cause permanent damage if you continue to drive the car without a coolant. Like you listen to your body signals to know what could be wrong, you should look for signals from the car to avoid any issues.

How to Know the Level of Coolant is less?

There are signs that one can look for to know the level of coolant.

1. Warning Sign On Dashboard:

This is the easiest signal to spot as there is a light that illuminates on the dashboard showing the engine is getting overheated. There are different signals on the dashboard and thus, one must know which sign to look out for.

2. Temperature Gauge:

Before the light illuminates, the temperature gauge will give a signal as it will show high levels. This is an indication to find the issue with the car and the system. There can be permanent damage to the car due to the high temperature and thus, one must consult a mechanic if they cannot detect the problem.

3. Bonnet:

When the engine gets overheated, the bonnet of the car will become very hot. There can be instances of heat coming from the bonnet. This can either happen when it is raining or due to a cracked or blown heating system. These all are warning signs which should be looked out for.

4. Change Coolant:

The coolants of the cars have to be changed but when depends on the car and how old is it. Usually, each car has its own system and the frequency of changing the coolant is known to the owner. This depends on the make and model of the car and also the type of coolant it uses.

Coolant and Car Insurance

For the working and repair of the car, there are some consumables that are used. Some of them are bolts, nuts, engine oil, pipes, ball bearings, coolants etc. Under a standard comprehensive insurance policy, these consumables are not paid for by CAR INSURANCE.. But if you want coverage for these, you will need to opt for consumables add on the cover which makes the payment for these a part of the insurance company’s liability. There are some good add-on covers which can help in reducing big repair bills like a zero depreciation car insurance policy and an engine protection cover.

Conclusion

The coolant of the car has an important role to play in the running of the car and to avoid damage to the other parts. When the car is driven without a coolant, it can cause damage to some main and secondary parts due to excessive heating. Just keeping a check on the coolant levels helps in avoiding big losses. This is why it is recommended that one should keep a check on the levels and once you know it is low, no way the car should be driven. When you realise the level has gone way too low and can pose an issue for the car and its working, one must stop the car and try to contact a mechanic and take appropriate actions. Stopping the car will make sure that the engine cools and then maybe once it's cooled off to a point, one car drive to the mechanic. If the levels are reducing and are going to touch the minimum levels, one must drive to the closest mechanic and get it fixed.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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