Overheating & cooling system repairs in Millbrook. Find the leak before it finds the head gasket.
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A temperature gauge creeping up, coolant that keeps disappearing, a sweet smell after a drive, steam from under the bonnet, or a heater that's stopped blowing hot. An overheating engine is the one fault that turns a small bill into a big one, so we pressure-test the system and find the cause before replacing anything.
Symptoms and what they usually mean
- Gauge climbing in traffic, fine on the move — the cooling fan isn't cutting in, or the radiator is partly blocked.
- Coolant level dropping with no puddle — a small leak that evaporates on the hot engine, a weeping hose or expansion tank, or in the worst case a head gasket.
- Sweet smell, or a pink/green/blue puddle — a leak at a hose, the radiator, the water pump or a heater matrix.
- Heater blows cold, engine warm — low coolant, an airlock or a blocked heater matrix.
- Engine takes ages to warm up — thermostat stuck open. Wastes fuel and wears the engine.
- White smoke from the exhaust, mayonnaise under the oil cap, bubbles in the expansion tank — head gasket symptoms. Stop driving and get it tested.
What we do
- Pressure-test the system and check the coolant's strength with a refractometer; find the leak rather than top it up and hope.
- Check the thermostat, the fan and its switch or sensor, and the water pump for play and weeping.
- Head gasket tested chemically for combustion gases in the coolant before anyone talks about a big job.
- Radiators, thermostats, water pumps, hoses, fans and expansion tanks replaced with quality parts; the system refilled with the correct specification coolant and bled properly.
Price: quoted per job after testing, with the fault photographed. A coolant drain and refill on its own is £84 inc VAT. Water pumps driven by the timing belt are best done with the belt: timing belts →
Cooling & overheating questions
My car is overheating — can I drive it to you?
If the gauge is in the red or there is steam, no: stop, let it cool, and call us. Driving an overheating engine even a few miles can warp the head. If it is only creeping up in traffic and drops on the move, drive gently with the heater on full and come straight in.
Is it definitely the head gasket?
Usually not. Most overheating and coolant loss is a hose, a thermostat, a fan or a pump. We test for combustion gases in the coolant before anyone mentions a head gasket, so you get the honest answer, not the expensive one.
Which coolant does my car need?
The specification the manufacturer lists — they are not interchangeable and the wrong one can corrode the engine internally. We use the right one, at the right strength, and bleed the system so there are no airlocks.
How often should coolant be changed?
Typically every four to five years, or per your service schedule. It loses its anti-corrosion properties long before it stops working as antifreeze.