Can Coolant Leak or No Coolant Cause Car to Not Start?

Nothing is awful than being stuck on the mid-road while moving towards a destination. A vehicle may experience trouble starting due to any reason. However, you can get a hint of what’s preventing your car from starting by keeping some knowledge of the basics. 

If the ignition, connection wires, and the battery is doing fine, then you know what’s left now. The coolant system.

The coolant system is to prevent the car from overheating so that the car keeps going smoothly. But many times, the coolant system is the root of the problem you’re facing with your car. Specially coolant leak is responsible for many issues. 

Now you may ask if it’s a lack of coolant or coolant leakage that’s not letting your car start. Well, you’ll find your answer here explained nicely. 

Can coolant leak cause car to not start?

Coolant leak can cause a car to not start as it leads to many internal problems. Leaked coolant if gets into the combustion chamber may affect the internal parts and damage the engine eventually. Coolant leak overheats the engine as it leads to insufficient coolant thus the car might not start.

Coolant, also found in the name antifreeze is an engine fluid that helps to maintain the proper operating temperature of any vehicle. Your car may face difficulty running or get damaged if the internal temperature is not kept right. That’s why coolant is important.

However, coolant can create many problems too when leaked. Especially, it can cause your car not to start. Why? Let’s know.

Coolant leak can affect the engine: 

The engine of any car is the main part that needs to be flawless to keep the vehicle going. If the coolant system has leakage and the leaked coolant somehow gets into the combustion chamber it will burn and produce white thick smoke. 

If it continues the engine can get damaged and this will obviously not let the car start. 

Coolant leak can result in low coolant:

Running your car on low coolant is a bad decision. One of the many reasons your car’s coolant level drops is coolant leak.

If the coolant leak isn’t repaired soon, the car might not run smoothly. It even can stop at the midway due to overheating and then not start anymore. 

Coolant leak can overheat the car:

Coolant is to keep the car at a proper temperature in the hot weather and cold as well.

If coolant leakage happens, it will affect the car after some time as the coolant system won’t be able to transfer the heat with the insufficient coolant. And overheating often prevents cars from starting.

How to know if car is leaking coolant?

If you’re suspecting a coolant leak on your car, you can be sure of your doubt by observing several signs a car will give if it is leaking coolant. Here are some of the hints:

The car overheats too much:

If the coolant system has any leakage, the level of coolant will lower gradually and the system will not be able to transfer the heat before wise.

If you notice overheating problems too often, it’s because of leaking coolant. 

It emits white smoke:

If a car is having any issue with its coolant system it will emit unusual smoke. If you see white and thick smoke coming from the coolant system, your car has coolant leakage. 

There’s a sweet smell:

Coolant leak can be easily detected if you smell a sweet aroma coming from your car. The smell can come from the passenger seat, from the back of the wheel, or from external parts of the car. 

Colorful puddles under the vehicle:

You can know it’s coolant leaking if you see green, orange, and blue colorful puddles under the car after parking it. 

Can no coolant cause car to not start?

Completely depleted coolant can prevent a car from starting. A car with no coolant often gets overheating and other internal issues. It can lead to an engine failure that may cause a car not to start. Lack of coolant will slowly damage the engine while shortening your car’s life.

If you’re not well aware of the benefits of coolant or don’t refill it regularly, you’re actually risking your car’s life. Because to prevent overheating, unusual smoking, and interrupted driving coolant is essential. 

Coolant transfers the heat that produces by the engine while running and saves the car from getting much hotter. Coolant or antifreeze also preserves a proper warm temperature when the outside weather is too low.

The absence of coolant that’s why can be proved harmful to a car. Let’s know the reasons in detail here:

No coolant will overheat the car:

Overheating is a serious problem for any vehicle. It may seem a common issue but gradually this can cause a breakdown of a car. 

If your engine contains no coolant it will get too heated while running. At some point, excessive heat can fail the engine. And if the engine is broken, the car will not start. So no coolant can prevent your car from starting. 

No coolant can damage the engine:

Coolant not only keep the temperature at a proper level but also takes care of the internal parts and gears from getting damaged and thus keeps the engine running effectively.

If the coolant is fully depleted, the internal parts will stop working for the engine resulting in major engine failure. This will cause a car not to start. 

Can low coolant cause car to not start?

Yes, low coolant after some time can cause a car to not start. Because insufficient coolant cannot transfer the heat and keep a proper operating temperature. Thus the car gets overheated and gradually stops taking the start.

Coolant or antifreeze is a fluid used in car engines. It’s unarguably the best thing to extend your car’s lifetime since it prevents overheating and other major problems caused by temperature.

However, the coolant level needs to be checked regularly. Because if due for any reason coolant level drops, it will create many internal complications. Such as the presence of coolant in the combustion chamber, damaging wires or blowing the head gasket, etc. 

All these if not detected soon can cause a breakdown of a car by stopping it suddenly. Low coolant affects the engine badly too thus it may stop working and so the car might not start.  

Will a car start without coolant?

A car will surely start without coolant. You can even drive it for hours but if the engine overheats while on the run you may face some difficulty even a permanent car breakdown. 

Coolant is an essential engine fluid and it’s recommended to use regularly to avoid overheating issues and other engine problems in the car. Though there is no rule you must use it but not using coolant is surely a bad decision for your car. 

Without coolant, the car may perform well first few days if you’re not driving the car for a long time but after that, it will start showing various issues due to overheating. But there is no way a car will not start without coolant. 

Why won’t my car start after putting coolant?

If your car was overheated and after putting coolant it still is not starting, there could be a few things behind this issue for example, not enough coolant in the reservoir or the coolant isn’t activated yet.

Often overheating causes a car breakdown and prevent it from starting until you add coolant again. Coolant usually takes around 30 minutes to get activated and start cooling down. If you try to start the car before that you might not see any movement.

Also if the coolant level isn’t fulfilled or not sufficient, the car engine might not work as usual. 

How do I check if my car needs antifreeze?

If you’re new to using coolant in your car and now wondering how to check if your car is crying for some antifreeze, you must read the signals it shows. Here are some common signs to check if your car is in need of antifreeze:

It overheats:

If your car gets heated too soon these days, even after short rides, it’s because it needs a coolant system. 

It makes smoke:

If a car is running short on antifreeze or needs some badly it will produce unusual smoke that’s thicker and white. 

There will be noise:

Lack of antifreeze makes a loud grinding sound in the car hood. If you’ve heard any add antifreeze soon.

Final Thoughts:

Coolant leak or no coolant cause car to not start even these can lead to a permanent breakdown. Low coolant caused by coolant leak interrupts the coolant system thus the car can’t prevent overheating. A car without coolant will take a start but face difficulty in the early future due to overheating.