What happens if you run an engine without coolant?

If the temperature rises, it can damage or destroy engine components. Even worse, if it boils and turns to liquid in the engine, the cavities created by boiling can cause a total meltdown of the engine.

Liquid coolant helps keep these dangerous hot spots from forming and spreading by providing an even distribution of coolant throughout the cooling passages within the motor. Granted, certain heat-sensitive parts will still fail eventually under prolonged exposure to high temperatures without protection but they’ll last longer than they would otherwise without this protection.

Even so, lack of coolant is often one of those things that have to play out before anything definitive happens.

Originally published on quora @sequoia-global