Cracked coolant reservoir, would this cause my car to overheat?

limited info generic answer incorrect install collapse hose lines cracked water jacket in head or block

There can be numerous reasons for coolant loss.

External Coolant loss
1. Coolant escaping from the radiator cap. Replace the cap.

2. There is an external leak in the system which could be from a hole or crack in the radiator(especially the plastic sections) or a hole in a radiator hose or there is a loose hose connection.

3. The water pump gasket has deteriorated and coolant is escaping from around the water pump fitting.

4. There is a crack in the coolant overflow reservoir and coolant is leaking out.

Internal Coolant Loss
1. Coolant is escaping into the engine's cylinders in which event you will see white smoke coming out of the exhaust and you will also have combustion gasses leaking into the coolant passages which will cause bubbles and overheating of the coolant. This problem will be due to a failed cylinder head gasket, a crack in the cylinder head or both.

2. Coolant is escaping into the engine lubrication system and in that event you will see evidence of coolant in the engine oil. Pull the oil dipstick and check the condition of the oil. If it looks a bit like chocolate milk and not just normal oil colouring you have coolant in there. Also check the radiator cap when the engine is cold. There may also be evidence of oil in the radiator coolant that is stuck to the radiator cap and around the neck of the radiator.
This problem will also be due to a failed cylinder head gasket or a crack in the cylinder head or both.

Whatever the cause in your case don't hesitate to have it checked out by a competent professional If you lose coolant and you allow the level to run significantly lower than normal the engine will overheat and you will cause very expensive engine damage.

The black rubber hose may be bad and needs replaced. This hose should connect to the radiator at the radiator cap and run along the firewall to the coolant reservoir. Also the coolant reservoir might be cracked and leaking on to the rubber hose, if this is the cause just replace the coolant reservoir which may be a dealer only item, check at you local auto parts store and they will tell you if it is a dealer only item. If you have to replace the coolant reservoir, make sure the car has not been run and the coolant at the radiator is cool, cause when the engine is hot the hot coolant runs into the coolant reservoir till it cools and returns to the radiator when engine is turned off and cools.

Hi and welcome to FixYa!

Few things why the car overheats, here are the following:

- Weak radiator blower motor
- Clogged radiator
- Cracked head or head gasket
- Faulty water pump (coolant will not circulate if it's faulty)
- Worn out radiator hoses
- Coolant reservoir overfill (coolant overflows)

You will need to have them replaced to resolve the problem. Hope this helps and thank you for using FixYa! Have a good one!

It may be the radiator cap itself, but is most likely a crack that has formed around of near the radiator, causing steam to exit from this area. It seems like it is a small leak, otherwise the coolant loss would not be so gradual. Radiator replacement will most likely solve this problem after the radiator is inspected and a crack is found. I do not recommend the use of Stop leak to correct leaking radiators, in the long run, they do more harm than good.

head gasket is blown

The reason for this is because your trans cooler(which is built into the radiator itself) has failed and burst causing trans fluid to contaminate the cooling system.The fix for this is to remove and replace the radiator with a new one and then flush your cooling system to remove all trans fluid.I hope I could help!!! Any other questions please get back to me and rate me accordingly.

check the reservoir and the overflow tube for cracks. also followq the hoses, and see if one is leaking, and the coolant running down the rad. hope this helps.

The three most likely thing's cause overheating are faulty thermostat,electric fan or clogged radiator. Only at has been overheat so much it boils dry that it will cause engine trouble. Most common problem's are blown cylinder head gasket or a cracked cylinder head.
mixing coolant and water depends on where the gasket has blown or head is cracked. You will first need to check if it actually is overheating. The reason is. If the head is cracked or gasket blown then you can get a false boiling which is compresion from the cylinders blows through the crack in the head or gasket causing the coolant to blow out of the radiator cap.Fill the radiator to the top leave the cap off then start the engine.If the water blows out then you will need to remove the cylinder head check the gasket is ok. If its damaged replace if not get the head checked for crack's. If no water blow's when you start it check the thermostat is working properly. To check the thermostat put it a in a saucepan cover it with water bring the water to the boil. It should open before the water boil's but near boiling-point. If its ok then start the engine again leave it running until it boils and check the fan is running. If that's ok then its radiator problem. Their is no way to check if the radiator is ok you will need to get a new one. One last point. If the cylinder head or gasket are faulty it was caused by overheating so by just fixing the cylinder head problem is not a cure it will overheat again. Check the three things I mentioned at the begining and told you how to check them. Hope this help's. Cheer's

your fan is the problem...it's not turning fast enough to cool the engine off. I need more info on what type of fan you have....elec fan or a clutch fan?