Cooling System & Radiator Repair

When your car starts running hot, you need a shop that can find the real problem fast. C&C Automotive provides radiator repair and complete cooling system service in Augusta, Martinez, and Thomson, GA, and for drivers coming from Warrenville and Aiken, SC. We've been family-owned since 1977, and our ASE-certified technicians have seen every kind of cooling failure the CSRA's long, hot summers can throw at an engine.

Your engine burns fuel thousands of times a minute, and all that combustion creates heat that has to go somewhere. The cooling system circulates a mix of antifreeze and water through passages in the engine, carries the heat to the radiator, and releases it into the air flowing through the front of the vehicle. Every part in the loop has a job:

• Radiator, releases engine heat into the outside air as coolant passes through its thin tubes and fins
• Water pump, keeps coolant circulating through the engine and radiator whenever the engine runs
• Thermostat, opens and closes to hold the engine at its designed operating temperature
• Radiator and heater hoses, carry coolant between the engine, radiator, and heater core
• Cooling fans, pull air through the radiator at idle and in slow traffic
• Heater core, a small radiator behind the dash that uses engine heat to warm the cabin
• Radiator cap and reservoir, hold pressure in the system and give expanding coolant somewhere to go

Cooling system problems rarely announce themselves all at once. Most start small, and the earlier you catch them, the cheaper the fix. Bring your vehicle in if you notice:

• Temperature gauge reading higher than normal or climbing into the red
• Steam or a sweet, syrupy smell from under the hood
• Green, orange, or pink fluid pooling under the front of the vehicle
• The heater blowing cold air even after the engine warms up
• Coolant level dropping between fill-ups with no visible leak
• A cooling fan that runs constantly, or never comes on at all
• Crusty white or rust-colored buildup around hose clamps and the radiator
• A low-coolant or temperature warning light on the dash

• Cooling system diagnosis and pressure testing
• Radiator repair and replacement
• Coolant flush and fill with the manufacturer-specified antifreeze
• Water pump replacement
• Thermostat replacement
• Radiator hose and heater hose replacement
• Cooling fan, fan clutch, and fan relay repair
• Heater core diagnosis and replacement
• Radiator cap, reservoir, and overflow tank replacement

Coolant doesn't last forever. Over the years it breaks down, turns acidic, and starts corroding the radiator, water pump, and heater core from the inside out. A coolant flush drains the old fluid, clears out the rust and scale it left behind, and refills the system with fresh antifreeze mixed to the right strength.

Most vehicles are due somewhere around every 30,000 to 50,000 miles, and some long-life coolants stretch further. If you can't remember your last coolant flush, or the fluid in the reservoir looks brown or muddy instead of bright, it's time. It's one of the least expensive services we offer, and it protects some of the most expensive parts on the car.

No heat in January is more than a comfort problem. A heater that can't keep up usually points to low coolant, air trapped in the system, or a heater core that's clogging up, and a damp passenger floorboard or film on the inside of the windshield can mean the core has started leaking. Heater cores live deep behind the dash, so an accurate diagnosis matters before anyone starts pulling trim panels. We test first, then fix what's actually wrong.

If the temperature gauge heads for the red or steam starts rolling out from under the hood, what you do next can save the engine:

• Turn off the A/C and turn the heater on full, it pulls heat away from the engine
• Pull over somewhere safe and shut the engine off as soon as you can
• Never open the radiator cap while the engine is hot, the system is under pressure and can scald you
• If the gauge runs hot again after cooling down and topping off, have it towed rather than driving it
• Call C&C Automotive, we offer 24-hour towing straight to the shop of your choice

• Family-owned and operated since 1977
• ASE-certified technicians at every location
• Pressure testing and diagnosis before parts, so you only pay for what's actually wrong
• 2-year / 24,000-mile warranty on qualifying repairs, handled by the shop that did the job
• Six locations across the CSRA

An overheating engine never fixes itself, and every hot mile raises the stakes. Whether you need radiator repair in Augusta, a coolant flush before a road trip, or an answer for a heater that quit, call C&C Automotive or book online at any of our six locations in Augusta, Martinez, Thomson, GA, Warrenville, or Aiken, SC.