Q&A

would this have any affect on the radiator? my car has been running hot too. I thought that I may have a leak in the radiator or the recovery because I keep having to put water in it. so is this problem related or do I have a seperate issue?

Yes it is possible. if 1 of the heater hoses is loose and leaking coolant inside. then it is coolant in the floorboard and not water. That is unless you have just straight water in you cooling system. If its not coolant leaking inside then you are possibly leaking it somewhere. this would be why you have to keep adding coolant. There is a tool you might be able to rent called a cooling system pressure tester. When the system is hot the pressure inside increases. Leaks get worse then and harder to find due to the heat. This tool attaches to the radiator or surge tank fill opening. You pump it up to apply pressure. Most leaks will become evident with the added pressure. 1 big benefit to the tool is the engine can be cold making it easier to look for leaks. With the pressure built up on the system start searching for leaks. Start under the dash on the passenger side. Then look under the car see if you can spot anything hitting the ground. Then you know what area to start looking. Oh make sure your system is topped off before you start. If you cant find where it is coming from, it may be time to seek more help. The pressure test is not hard to perform. The repair is going to be a bit more tricky. I dont know your level of automotive knowledge. Maybe this is a big task for you or not. if you decide to tackle it I can help more. Im more trying to give you an idea of what tasks lay ahead of you. Another thinng I want to mention is about adding water to the system. Make sure you use coolant witht the water. maybe your are but you only mentioned water. A mix off half water half coolant is what you usually want. The coolant has a lubricant in it for your water pump. it is a good idea to make sure you use coolant.