A tire shop based out of Batesville, Mississippi went viral on TikTok after sharing a “documentation video” demonstrating why engine coolant is important. And just how common it is to see drivers look the other way when it starts leaking.
A mechanic for the shop, City Tire (@s-tire), did this by showing viewers a car that he said was dropped off recently. The woman who brought her car in, he said, wanted to get two tires for the front of her car.
But the mechanic said he noticed a more dire problem with her vehicle: It was leaking coolant.
“I saw in the parking lot out there,” the mechanic said. “I said, ‘You know it’s leaking coolant everywhere, right?’”
The mechanic said that the woman admitted that her car’s “water pump” was leaking. But she repeatedly refused to acknowledge that the leak was something she needed to fix immediately.
What can happen if your car leaks coolant?
The mechanic for City Tire said he warned the woman that if her car leaked all of its coolant out, then it would “run hot.” He also said that the car might run into motor issues as a result.
This is true. Engine coolant, or antifreeze, protects car engines from overheating, according to Valvoline. The role of coolant, it said, is to “prevent engine failures related to overheating and to keep the engine running at optimal temperatures.”
The customer wasn’t phased, however. In fact, according to the mechanic, the woman insisted that she only wanted her front tires fixed. She said, “I’ll worry about that coolant leak later.”
The mechanic said he pulled the car in and put a bucket underneath to catch the coolant.
“I mean, it’s just pouring,” he said.
At another point during the woman’s appointment, the mechanic said that he warned her, again, that she should be more concerned with the coolant leak versus replacing her tires.
She still refused.
“She said, ‘Yeah, yeah. Just put the tires on. I’ll worry about it later,’” the mechanic recounted.
“We’re going to put those tires on and send it,” he said. As of Wednesday evening, the video documenting the dripping coolant had amassed more than 107,700 views.
What happens if you run out of coolant?
According to Vavloline, engines will eventually give out without coolant. While exact mileage varies based on the car and manufacturer, it recommended changing your car’s coolant every 50,000 miles.
And going without coolant is a risky bet. Overheating engines can catch fire, which can be dangerous.
Because of this, some viewers expressed disbelief that the woman refused to get the leak fixed.
“I don’t think she realizes just how bad that leak is,” one woman said. “My goodness.”
“If I saw this leak I’d have told my mechanic to fix that leak FIRST and then I’ll worry about what I originally came here for,” another said.
Others had more sympathy for the woman. Some guessed that she maybe couldn’t afford multiple car services at once.
“Money is tight. Hope she gets it fixed,” one commenter wrote.
“Some people don’t have the funds to fix everything,” another said.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @s-tire via TikTok comment.
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