What If You Drive Your Lexus Car With Low Coolant?

No matter the type of car – gasoline, diesel, hybrid, or electric, cars naturally create heat. While you drive, some of the heat is channeled into the cabin for your comfort. However, most of the heat has to be handled another way. The rest of the heat is managed through a special fluid known as engine coolant that runs through your engine to keep the engine within the optimal operating temperature. Your engine coolant is one of the most important fluids under your hood. If you drive your Lexus car with low coolant, your engine can get too hot, which could damage parts of your vehicle and disrupt your journey. Read on to find out more about the effects of driving your Lexus car with low coolant.

Overheated Engine

One of the biggest risks you run when driving your Lexus car with low coolant is overheating your engine. Since the coolant helps draw heat away from the engine, without enough coolant, your engine would not run, even for a few minutes, without irreparable damage or a breakdown. The engine would seize up or overheat and continuing using it would cause damage such as pistons welding to the cylinders of your car.

Blowing a Head Gasket

A head gasket on your engine block can blow due to low coolant. In such instances, you may notice that your car is losing power, and efficiency or even emitting smoke from the engine or tailpipe.

Engine Shut Off

Some cars have a safety feature in place to shut off the engine automatically before it can suffer significant damage. This safety feature could be triggered by low coolant. While it may help save you time and extensive repairs at the car shop, having your engine shut off could be extremely dangerous if you are on the road.

Warning Signs

Here are some warning signs to help identify if your Lexus car is suffering from low coolant.

The High-Temperature Gauge is in the Red

A tell-tale sign is low coolant is the high-temperature gauge on the dashboard. Designed to tell when the engine is getting too hot, the gauge should stay near the center of the H and C symbols normally. However, if you are low on coolant, the gauge will read closer to the H. In such cases, shut your engine down and have it towed for repairs.

The A/C System is Acting Up

If you notice hot air blowing from your car A/C vents when your air conditioning is running, you might be low on coolant.

There is a Sweet-Smelling Odor

Engine coolant contains glycol, a sweet viscous liquid that helps regulate the boiling and freezing point of water. Therefore, if there is a coolant leak in your Lexus vehicle, you may notice a sweet smell under the hood of your car or in your air conditioning. While odors may be a sign of car issues, it is always best to consult our professional Prestige Lexus technicians if you suspect you have low coolant.