What to do When Your Car Overheats

When your car overheats you must stay calm and follow a set of strategies to avoid damage to the engine and burns to your own body. Overheating of the car is common in almost all hot weather areas. It can be due to an issue in the cooling system because of which heat does not escape the engine compartment. The engine older than 3 years should be checked frequently for cooling system leakage, broken water pump, clogged coolant hose, and fault in radiator fan. So preparation is the only way to counter such dreadful situations. Ignoring such a scenario can cause severe damage to the engine, so do not take it lightly.

Turn Off Air-conditioning System

While driving be careful and keep an eye on the engine temperature gauge. It is at the dashboard that turns red or has an indicator of high temperature. If you smell something unusual or the steam coming out of hood know that there is overheat car issue. At that very moment turn off the air conditioning system and wait. This reduces stress on the engine and then you can work on strategy forward. Turn on the heat to maximum, so the heat route inside instead of clogging the engine. You might feel the heat, but it can save your engine. Do remember to keep the car window down, to keep fresh air flowing.

Park at a Safe Place

Look for a safe place at the nearest location to pull over. Shut the car down and wait for 15-30 minutes for the engine to cool down. Monitor the progress of temperature gauge and call for assistance if you think the situation cannot be managed alone. It can be due to the road condition too as you might feel a threat to safety, calling roadside assistance for towing your car is also a great alternative.

Add Coolant after Referring

When your car overheats,avoid opening hood the moment you park the car. There is a risk of burn or injuries from thrown up steam or smoke that get open space. The engine should cool down when you open the hood. If you are car function literate and have the owner’s manual of the car, refer to it. Go to the top-off coolant level section, but make sure that the issue is related to it. Learn about potential other issues by reading the car book. As if the coolant hose is clogged or the radiator fan is broken you might be in trouble.

Restart Engine

This is the final step, as if you think that things are in control and have not called for help, you should start driving to the nearest repair shop. Do remember that no matter how urgent the situation is, driving it is risky, so your destination should be an auto-repair shop. Keep an eye on the temperature gauge as a heated car tends to catch fire. If the temperature rises again, stop the car and wait for the engine to cool down.

Hot days and stop-and-go traffic are deadly combinations that can over-heat your car engine at any moment. Take care to stay safe

(Consumer Report)