Coolant flush at your home in Kansas City, Kansas

Coolant, which some people still call antifreeze, runs through the engine, picks up heat, and carries it to the radiator in front of the car where the air takes it away. It also keeps the water in the system from freezing in winter and from boiling over in summer. And it carries additives that protect the metal and rubber inside the system from rust and wear.

That last part is what wears out. The coolant can still be in there at the right level and look fine from a distance while the protection in it is used up.

Fresh coolant is clear and brightly colored, usually green, orange, pink or blue depending on the type. Look at the overflow tank with the engine cold. If you see any of the things below, it is worth having Josh take a look.

• Brown, rusty or muddy looking coolant
• Flakes, sludge or an oily film floating in the tank
• A temperature gauge that sits higher than it used to
• Weak heat from the vents in winter
• A sweet smell after a drive, or drips under the front of the car
• Coolant that keeps going low with no leak you can find

The cooling system runs under pressure when the engine is warm. Take the cap off a hot radiator or a hot overflow tank and the coolant can spray out scalding. People get burned this way every summer.

Wait until the engine is fully cool, and then check. If you are adding coolant, add it to the overflow tank unless your owner's manual says otherwise. If the car is overheating right now, pull over, shut it off, and call or text Josh instead of opening anything.

Kansas City asks a lot of a cooling system. July and August stay hot and humid for weeks, and stop-and-go traffic on I-435 or I-70 in that heat is about the hardest thing you can ask of a radiator. Old coolant that has lost its protection makes that worse.

Then winter comes and the same coolant has to keep the system from freezing on a hard January night. Coolant that is watered down or worn out may not do it, and frozen coolant can crack parts. Fall is a good time to have it checked, before the first hard freeze, and spring is a good time before the heat.

Go by your owner's manual. Coolant intervals vary a lot between carmakers and coolant types, and newer cars often go a long time between changes. The manual also names the type of coolant your engine was built for, and that matters. Mixing types or using the wrong one can cause problems inside the system.

If you don't know when it was last done, or you bought the car used, ask Josh. He can look at the coolant and tell you what he sees.

Sometimes the coolant isn't the problem. It is a leaking radiator, a soft hose, a stuck thermostat or a belt that isn't turning things the way it should. Josh looks at the radiator, the hoses and the belt while he is doing the flush. Radiators, radiator hoses and serpentine belts are all on his list of repairs, so if he finds one going bad, you get a clear quote for that too.

And if the coolant has oil in it, or the car keeps losing coolant with no leak in sight, that can point to a head gasket. That is a different conversation, and Josh will tell you straight what he thinks it is.

Call or text Josh at (913) 256-5056 with the year, make and model and what you have noticed: the color of the coolant, the gauge, a smell or a puddle. A photo of the overflow tank helps. You get a clear quote before any work starts, and the job happens in your driveway.

Ask him how the old coolant is handled when you book, too.