What To Do If Your Car Overheats

When outside temperature sours during the warm summer months, the temperatures under your hood in your car’s engine can rise to 200 degrees, with that kind of heat, your engine needs to remain cool. Most modern vehicles are so refined that it can be very difficult to hear the engine running. While you might not be able to listen to the motor spin, there is still a combustion cycle taking place, and with soaring temperatures, the risk of car overheating is high.

Most cars come equipped with warning lights; therefore, when the engine starts to overheat, the driver will get a warning before any damage occurs to the engine. The first sign your car will throw off when your engine is overheating is the temperature gauge will begin to rise towards the red zone. Depending on your car make and model, you could also have a check engine light or a temperature warning light illuminating on your dashboard. Ignoring these warning signs could lead to the coolant in your radiator boiling and steam rising underneath your hood.

Why Does The Engine Overheat?

Just like any mechanical engine, your car has an optimal temperature range where it runs best. Therefore, when the engine temperature hits either extremes – too cold or too hot, it could potentially lead to engine problems. When your engine’s temperature rises above the optimal performance levels, it will overheat.

What are the Signs of an Overheating Engine?

Depending on the make and type of your car, overheating can be unique. However, there are a few common signs that every driver needs to be aware of when your car begins to overheat.

Your engine temperature gauge in your dashboard or driver’s console will spike to “H” or move to the red zone area of the indicator.
You will notice strange smells or odors coming from underneath the hood or front side of the vehicle.
Smoke or steam will begin to billow from the front of your vehicle under the hood.

My Engine is Overheating. Now what?

When your engine overheats, you’ll get a warning light on your dashboard, and the needle indicator will be in the red zone. At this point, it’s best not to keep driving your car, instead of doing the following:

Pull off to the road shoulders
Turn off your car engine
Contact your local mechanic for help

You mustn’t attempt to touch the radiator cap as you wait for help to arrive. Your car cooling system is highly pressurized and trying to loosen the radiator cap even a little will set off a geyser of steaming coolant.

What If I Am Stuck in Stop and Go Traffic or an Incline?

In case you find yourself in stop and go traffic, and your temperature indicator begins to rise, you can do the following to help cool your engine:

If the air conditioner is on, shut it off, and open your windows. Doing this will help reduce the load on the engine, cooling it off.
In case your vehicle is still overheating, turn on your heater and blower. While this might seem like worsening the situation, doing so helps transfer the heat from the engine to the vehicle cabin.
If you are stuck in traffic, shift to neutral or park, and rev the engine a little. Doing this triggers the water pump speeding up your fan speed, helping draw more coolant and air through your radiator, ultimately helping cool down your engine.
Again, if you feel your vehicle is about to boil over, pull over on the right side of the road, open your hood and contact a professional mechanic for help. AAMCO Boise is a leading cooling, heating, and air conditioning repair center in the region.

AAMCO Boise Cooling, Heating, and Air Conditioning Repairs

At AAMCO Boise, we specialize in offering the best cooling, heating, and air conditioning repair and maintenance service in the region. Our qualified technicians have both industry experience, expertise, and state of the art equipment to diagnose, repair, and maintain your car cooling system.
We specialize in transmission system maintenance, among other services such as brake system service, auto tune-up service, regular maintenance service, suspension system maintenance, and many more.
Do you suspect your vehicle might have an overheating problem? Call your nearest AAMCO Boise center and request for a free tow. Our technicians will work round the clock to ensure you don’t miss out on your summer travels.

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