What do you do if your car starts to overheat while on the road? This could be a scary situation that most likely needs to be resolved right away! A car overheating is something that occurs when a car engine is not working properly. Usually, something inside the cooling system is not allowing absorption, transportation, or release of the heat. So what do you do? Pull over or keep driving? How do you know if it’s serious? We want to give you all the steps to take when your car overheats and the safe way to handle it, as well as some reasons why your car may be overheating!
1. Pull over right away.
Better safe than sorry! The best thing to do is to pull over and not wait until you get home. We advise you to pull over immediately when you think your car is overheating or when you see your vehicle’s temperature gauge go to hot. Simply pull your car over to an area you feel is safe, away from traffic. Then turn your hazard lights on so oncoming traffic will see you, especially if you need to pull over on the highway. Once you do this, turn off your engine.
2. Let your vehicle cool down.
Another car overheating precaution to take is to let your vehicle cool down for at least 30 minutes. Make sure when you allow this time that you do not open the hood of your vehicle. Wait patiently until you feel it is safe to open the hood or until all the smoke has cleared. If you don’t feel comfortable popping the hood, call someone you trust to come and look at your vehicle and help. You may even have the option of calling your roadside assistance to come and help as well.
3. Check multiple places.
If you do want to look at your vehicle once it cools down, here are a couple of places to check. We only recommend this if you are familiar with what to do and know a bit about cars. Start by checking your coolant level. If you are not aware of where it is, check your owner’s manual! Take off your radiator cap once you know it is cool. Be careful when taking it off, refill if needed, and put the cap back on. Another thing to check are your radiator hoses! Make sure there are no cracks or blocks.
Reasons for car overheating issues.
There are multiple reasons your car could be overheating. It could be due to coolant issues, blocked hoses, radiator problems, a broken water pump, or more. Never ignore this issue as it has to do with your and your vehicle’s safety. If you overlook this, it could mean thousands of dollars in a later repair!
If you need help with your car overheating issues and you live in the Central Ohio area, visit our Harris Automotive Repair Shop! Our team of professional mechanics is here to repair your vehicle and get it back into tip-top shape!
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