Published 17 October 2026. General guidance; an inspection of your vehicle is still required.
The existing workshop image is illustrative; it does not document this specific fault. This guide cannot confirm whether your vehicle is safe to drive.
Make observations comparable
Check the level only as described in the vehicle instructions, on suitable level ground and under the specified cold conditions. Record the date, mileage, level and the amount actually added. Different temperatures can make casual readings difficult to compare; do not open a hot expansion tank to check.
No puddle is not proof of no leak
A leak may not reach the ground. It may show only when the system is hot or pressurised, or collect where it is not immediately visible. Other internal causes may need checking. Tell the workshop about stains, smell, cabin dampness or heating changes without treating any one sign as proof of a specific failed part.
What not to conclude from exhaust vapour
Vapour noticed on a cold start is not by itself evidence of a damaged head gasket. Equally, lack of a dramatic visible symptom does not prove that a repeated coolant loss is harmless. The rate of loss and the car's temperature behaviour are more useful to record than a guessed component.
When to stop
Overheating, steam, an empty reservoir or a rapid continuing loss call for a safe stop and assistance. Do not repeatedly restart an overheating engine. Do not remove a hot cap, choose replacement fluid by colour alone or use a sealing additive as a substitute for identifying the fault.
Agree diagnosis, not a speculative repair
Provide vehicle details, when the level drops and any previous cooling-system work. Ask the workshop to define the initial checks and obtain approval before additional work. No fixed repair price is justified until the cause and vehicle-specific requirements are known.
A useful service enquiry
Describe the symptom, when it occurs and any warning lights. Include the make, model, year and approximate mileage. Send relevant photographs or reports by email; the enquiry form does not accept attachments. Do not record or use your phone while driving.
Contact and next steps
Autoservis 1 is at Unhošťská 92, Červený Újezd, serving drivers from the surrounding Unhošť, Hostivice, Kladno and Prague-West area. An enquiry is a request: the scope, price and appointment must still be agreed.
Send a service enquiryFurther technical reading
General references, not a diagnosis or price quote for your vehicle.