Leaky radiator? just add cinnamon

[herbivor]

So my redneck friend told me an old trick to plugging a leaky radiator. Add about a tablespoon of cinnamon to the reservoir. He swears it works. Never needed to try it but just wondering if anyone heard about this or any other quirky fixes.

[flash 23]

how bout an egg? lol


(mcgyver)

[b*saint]

egg works.

[///M42 sport]

egg= tested and proven on mythbusters

[wodcutr]

It would probably screw up your thermostat and block your bypass valve for the heater but it your car!

[Ryann]

Solids in cooling system=bad. Repair or replace the leaking component.

[A Sucked Orange]

bacon

[ak-]

Fish 'n chips.

[Simon S]

+1 for bacon

or blow a whole $6 on a stop-leak product. jeez. Like that's what I would do in an emergency/out-of-state situation.

Ideally - the leaking component should be replaced. There isn’t much one can do in the way of "leak repair" when it comes to the cooling system.

[KenC]

egg= tested and proven on mythbusters

egg = tested and proven on post-e30 picnic drive in 2008.

[jlevie]

Using anything as a stop leak is a really bad idea. It may, temporarily, plug the leak, but it will gunk up the rest of the cooling system and reduce it's efficiency. And it is hard to clean the stuff out. In extreme cases the engine will have to be removed and torn down and the radiator, heater valve, and core replaced.

In most cases a radiator leak is the result of an old radiator. E30 radiators tend to last a long time, but I'd don't trust one that is over 10 years old. The plastic bits have gotten pretty brittle by then. Best to replace it before it becomes a problem.