It’s almost like a scene out of a sci-fi movie. Imagine you open the driver’s side of your car to discover steam billowing out of your steering wheel and a green—almost slime-like color—pooling beneath it. This may seem unbelievable, but it is a possibility a car owner could find themself in this situation if they’re having issues with their coolant.
In a video posted to TikTok from the account @kean.torin, dramatic audio can be heard with bright green liquid settling at the foot of the driver’s seat. It’s unclear if the account belongs to the person who owns the car.
Viewers claimed it was likely something was wrong with the car’s heater core, or “a small radiator that warms the car’s cabin using hot coolant from the engine,” according to Cars.com. Not only does the heater car warm the car but it also helps to defrost windows.
“So riddle me this ….heater core blew,” user @outlawdiesel1 said. “….heater core is on the passenger side behind [glove] box down by the floor [this is] why [is] green coming out the driver’s steering wheel.”
@kean.torin ♬ nhạc nền – rain
Signs of failure from the heater core
Signs of failure from the heater core include steam coming from air vents, excessive fogging of windows and a sweet coolant odor. Typically coolant is green or orange, according to Cars.com.
Antifreeze, which is different from coolant but can be used within coolant, can travel to the heater core from a car’s engine. Unfortunately, antifreeze can be harmful to the environment, if it is spilled or leaked. Because it contains ethylene glycol, a greenish-yellowish chemical, it can be dangerous if ingested by humans and animals. Also it can pollute groundwater, surface water and drinking water if dumped, according to the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.
Prevention
A heater core can degenerate over time so it’s important to make sure your car is properly serviced and coolant is changed at a suggested interval so that there’s no sediment buildup or a clogged heater core.
One viewer mentioned one of the worst parts of a failed heater core: “Hate it when heater core goes bad! Hard as hell to get that smell out of carpet,” user @stevesmith780 said.
While another poked fun at the vibrant green color on the car’s carpet: “That’s that slime from Roger Rabbit that they was melting people in,” user Seishe Daye (@seishedaye) said.
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