What to do when car overheats?
Engine overheat is a major problem for every car. It can be happen everytime and everywhere mostly if your car cooling system is in lack maintenance.
Yes, when your car overheats, it often means something is wrong with one of the cooling system components, which include your radiator, motor fan, driven belt, waterpump, thermostat, hoses and coolant.
Since every car and situation can be unique, there are a few common signs to be aware of when your car engine is beginning to overheat:
So, what to do when car overheats? Here are some steps you can take to help when your car overheats and get back on the road safely:
The first thing to do when car overheats is to pull over to the safe location and turn off the engine immediately. Don't let the car to travel too far with the engine running after the first sign of engine overheats appears
Yes, when you see the signs of car overheats as we mentioned above, it's better for you to slowing down the car and pull over to the safe location then turn off the engine immediately.
As you reach the safest location and turning off the engine, the next steps to do when car overheats is to let the engine temperature cooling down. The easiest way is to wait for 30 minutes or more to let the engine cooling down.
To make sure if the engine has cooling down, you can see from the temperature gauge. Just turn ON the ignition switch and see the temperature gauge. If the pointer has moved to C (cold) mark, then we can proceed to the next steps.
Doing action (such as opening the engine hood or opening the radiator cap) while the engine temperature is in hot condition is dangerous and can cause injury. Allow the engine to cooling down first before you doing some inspection.
After the temperature has cooling down, the next step to do when car overheats is to open the engine hood and do visually inspection. Here are some lists of visually inspection for car overheats
If you see there is an engine oil leaking from your engine, broken radiator, bursts hoses, melted radiator fan, coolant leaking from any parts of the engine cooling system, then it's better to call your road assistance because these kinds of problems needed spareparts and certified technician to fix the problem.
Proceed to the next steps if you have not found and see any damage or failure on the visual inspection.
The first thing to do when we checking the coolant level is from the reservoir tank radiator. An empty reservoir tank means that the coolant was pulling into the cooling system. It's a sign that your engine cooling system has coolant leaks. For example broken radiator, burst radiator hose, waterpump seal damage, Blown cylinder head gasket, etc.
And if you have a fully reservoir tank, it mean that the coolant was pulling-out from the cooling system. It's a sign that your engine cooling system parts and components has malfunctions. For example, blown fuse and relay of radiator motor fan, blocked radiator, stuck thermostat, etc.
After we are checking the coolant level, it's better to open the reservoir tank cap or the hose that connected to the radiator filler neck. Opening the hose or cap of reservoir tank were connected to the radiator filler neck will prevent the pressurized steam when we open the radiator cap.
Read also:
Before you open the radiator cap, make sure the radiator cap is in a cool condition. Use a towel to cover your hand and twist the cap slightly. Do not open full the cap, twist it half way to let the pressure flow out (if any) to the hose were connected to the reservoir tank.
After you sure that the pressure was gone, fully open the radiator cap and fill coolant until it reach to the top of radiator. Don't fill the coolant if the engine still hot because it can causes several damage to the engine parts due to sudden changes in temperature.
Make sure you can see the coolant on top of the radator filler neck before putting back on the radiator cap. Also, don't forget to check visually the radiator cap for pressure valve and vacuum valve conditions. Sometimes, the overheat can happen because of the broken radiator cap.
Restart your engine and check for the coolant leak before proceed the journey. Carefully monitor the temperature gauge. If you see it crossing the maximum mark (H or red zone) then pull over to the safe location again and turn the engine off.
Do the 2nd to 6th steps above until you reach the nearest auto repair shop and get the engine overheats fixing by the certified technician.
Yes, when your car overheats, it often means something is wrong with one of the cooling system components, which include your radiator, motor fan, driven belt, waterpump, thermostat, hoses and coolant.
Since every car and situation can be unique, there are a few common signs to be aware of when your car engine is beginning to overheat:
- The engine temperature gauge spiking to "H" or moving into the red area of the gauge. Some car models use engine overheat warning lamps that lights on inside the dashboard panel
- Steam coming from the front of the vehicle under the hood.
- Strange smells or odors emanating from the front of the car, particularly near the hood. Leaking coolant can often have a sweet smell, while oil leaks will typically produce a burnt odor.
So, what to do when car overheats? Here are some steps you can take to help when your car overheats and get back on the road safely:
1. Pull over to safe location and turn off the engine
The first thing to do when car overheats is to pull over to the safe location and turn off the engine immediately. Don't let the car to travel too far with the engine running after the first sign of engine overheats appears
Yes, when you see the signs of car overheats as we mentioned above, it's better for you to slowing down the car and pull over to the safe location then turn off the engine immediately.
2. Allow the engine to cooling down it's temperature
As you reach the safest location and turning off the engine, the next steps to do when car overheats is to let the engine temperature cooling down. The easiest way is to wait for 30 minutes or more to let the engine cooling down.
To make sure if the engine has cooling down, you can see from the temperature gauge. Just turn ON the ignition switch and see the temperature gauge. If the pointer has moved to C (cold) mark, then we can proceed to the next steps.
Doing action (such as opening the engine hood or opening the radiator cap) while the engine temperature is in hot condition is dangerous and can cause injury. Allow the engine to cooling down first before you doing some inspection.
3. Open the engine hood and do visually inspection
After the temperature has cooling down, the next step to do when car overheats is to open the engine hood and do visually inspection. Here are some lists of visually inspection for car overheats
- Radiator and cap ; Check if there are any coolant leak or damage.
- Radiator upper hose and lower hose ; Check for bursts, collapses, or crack
- Radiator fan ; Check the radiator fan driven (motor or fan belt) for any damage or failure,
- Engine oil ; Check the engine oil color and volume
- Engine oil leakage
If you see there is an engine oil leaking from your engine, broken radiator, bursts hoses, melted radiator fan, coolant leaking from any parts of the engine cooling system, then it's better to call your road assistance because these kinds of problems needed spareparts and certified technician to fix the problem.
Proceed to the next steps if you have not found and see any damage or failure on the visual inspection.
4. Check the coolant level
The first thing to do when we checking the coolant level is from the reservoir tank radiator. An empty reservoir tank means that the coolant was pulling into the cooling system. It's a sign that your engine cooling system has coolant leaks. For example broken radiator, burst radiator hose, waterpump seal damage, Blown cylinder head gasket, etc.
And if you have a fully reservoir tank, it mean that the coolant was pulling-out from the cooling system. It's a sign that your engine cooling system parts and components has malfunctions. For example, blown fuse and relay of radiator motor fan, blocked radiator, stuck thermostat, etc.
After we are checking the coolant level, it's better to open the reservoir tank cap or the hose that connected to the radiator filler neck. Opening the hose or cap of reservoir tank were connected to the radiator filler neck will prevent the pressurized steam when we open the radiator cap.
Read also:
5. Open the cap and adding the coolant
Before you open the radiator cap, make sure the radiator cap is in a cool condition. Use a towel to cover your hand and twist the cap slightly. Do not open full the cap, twist it half way to let the pressure flow out (if any) to the hose were connected to the reservoir tank.
After you sure that the pressure was gone, fully open the radiator cap and fill coolant until it reach to the top of radiator. Don't fill the coolant if the engine still hot because it can causes several damage to the engine parts due to sudden changes in temperature.
Make sure you can see the coolant on top of the radator filler neck before putting back on the radiator cap. Also, don't forget to check visually the radiator cap for pressure valve and vacuum valve conditions. Sometimes, the overheat can happen because of the broken radiator cap.
6. Restart the engine
Restart your engine and check for the coolant leak before proceed the journey. Carefully monitor the temperature gauge. If you see it crossing the maximum mark (H or red zone) then pull over to the safe location again and turn the engine off.
Do the 2nd to 6th steps above until you reach the nearest auto repair shop and get the engine overheats fixing by the certified technician.