If your car’s radiator has small leaks, you can use black pepper to seal those leaks. In this post, we will explain in detail how it works. By learning this small trick, you can fix an annoying issue in an emergency situation. Read on to learn how to stop radiator leak with black pepper. 

How do you identify a radiator leak?  Under your car, you might notice a puddle of liquid that looks like coolant. To be able to fix it, you must know what type of leak it is. If the coolant leaks when you are driving the car, you may overheat the car and that may lead to expensive damage. 

It is really good to know that fixing a radiator is not a lengthy process. It takes only a few minutes. 

Check the temperature

Your vehicle’s engine can maintain an optimal temperature because the radiator dissipates heat. The system will use school and if there is a leak in the radiator. 

Inspect the car

Is the liquid really coming from the radiator? First of all, you must be 100% of that. So, look for the leak and do not get impatient if it takes some time. When inspecting your car, you must wear safety glasses and gloves because coolant is hot and it may damage your skin and eyes if you are not careful. Make sure the engine is not hot when you are inspecting the car. 

Find the leak

Finding the leak is the most important part of the process. The coolant may not always come from the radiator. It can also come from a clamp for radiator hose. Carefully inspect the radiator to know the source of the coolant. 

If it is from a loose clamp, you can easily stop the leak by tightening the clamp. If the source is a radiator hose, replace the hose to fix the issue. Fixing the issue is even easier if the radiator itself has a leak. Keep reading to learn how to stop radiator leak with black pepper.

There is a more convenient way to locate the leak. You can use a pressure tester to do it. Visit a local auto parts store and you will find a coolant system pressure tester. Your engine must be cool when you use this tester. Your coolant system has a pressure cap. Remove it before you test the pressure.

Use the included adapter to install the tester. Once you have secured the tester and sealed the system again, pump some pressure into the system. Check the gauge. If there is not enough pressure, you know that the pressure is leaking. To locate the leak, you have to notice where the sound is coming from.

You have to pump some pressure, but make sure the coolant system does not receive more than 20 pounds of pressure. More pressure can lead to even more leaks.

Fix the issue

To fix a radiator leak, you must know the available options and choose the right option. A stop-leak product can make the job a lot easier for you, and it is by far the most popular product to fix a radiator leak. Using the product is very easy. You just need to pour it into the radiator. 

If there is a small hole in the system, this product can fill the hole. Check the coolant level once the product is poured into the radiator. A good thing about this product is that you do not need to do anything about the leak once you have poured the product into the radiator. 

But that is a solution with the commercial product. Now we will discuss some alternative ways to fix the issue. There are in fact two alternative ways. One is with black pepper and another is with egg yolks. 

First, we will show you how to do it with black pepper. 

Step 1

Once the engine has cooled down, remove the lid of your car’s radiator. 

Step 2

Take some black pepper (about one tablespoon) and pour it into the radiator. Do not pour it into the back up reservoir. Remove the radiator cap opening and directly pour the black pepper into the radiator. The ratio of water and antifreeze should be 50:50. 

Drive your vehicle for some time to bring the temperature to a normal level. The particles will swell up if you wait for about half an hour. 

Step 3

Remove the hood and figure out where the leak is. Look under the car and look for signs of leakage. Add some more black pepper if needed. To seal the leakage, drive the car at a normal speed for 30 minutes. 

Do not remove the cap when the radiator is hot. If the issue persists, probably a bad hose is the source of the problem. In an extreme case, professional repair may be needed to fix a leak. 

Alternative ways to stop a radiator leak

In the beginning of this post, we want to show you how to stop radiator leak with black pepper. Now we are going to show you a couple of alternative ways to get the job done. Hopefully these methods will work well.

Use a commercial sealant

With a commercial leak sealant, sealing a radiator leak is simple and easy. There are different brands on the market, but they all work almost the same way. Before you use this product, make sure your engine has become cool. If your car’s engine is low, pour a mixture of coolant and water.

Then the radiator cap should be replaced and the engine should be started. As the sealant travels through the coolant system, the leak will seal. Unlike a professional radiator repair, this is not a permanent method. If you are interested in learning how to stop radiator leak with black pepper, you can try this method too.

Use epoxy

Epoxy should be used only to seal visible cracks. When you notice a visible crack, the first thing you need to do is to clean the area. To remove grime, you can use a rag and a brake cleaner. Allow the area to dry once you have cleaned it. And then you can use the epoxy.

However, there is a preparation phase. You have to prepare the epoxy by kneading it in your hand. When it becomes malleable, you can apply it over the crack. Visit any auto parts store to purchase some epoxy.

Before you start your vehicle, the epoxy should be allowed to set overnight. If you are interested in learning how to stop radiator leak with black pepper, knowing the alternative options is a good idea. You can get the same job done with some epoxy.

Use an egg!

Believe or not, you can use an egg to seal a radiator leak. Off course this solution is not permanent, but it can give you some temporary relief. The first step is to separate the egg yolks. Once the whites have been discarded, 3-4 yolks should be put into the coolant system.

The egg yolk will start working only when it passes through the system. In the radiator, small leaks will be sealed, allowing you to drive the car temporarily. It is good to know that this method is not as reliable as commercial products.

But if you want to learn how to stop radiator leak with black pepper, it is good to know what other ordinary things you can use to seal a radiator leak. Using black pepper is not the only way to do it. If you have to deal with a radiator leak, you can try any of these methods to fix the issue.