Is your car engine overheating? Here's what you should and shouldn't do. Click on each link to learn more. If you are looking for a mechanic your can trust in the Kitchener area, contact us.
Here are answers to a couple more questions you might be wondering about. Click on the links to read more.
How to tell if your car engine is overheating.
What Causes Car Engine Overheating?
Is Your Car Engine Overheating? Do the Following:
1. Turn your heater on full blast and open your windows.
Turning on your heat will help to cool your engine
A car engine overheating needs to get cooled down as quickly as possible. If you are running your air conditioner, turn it off and crank up the heat as high as it will go. Yes, this seems rather counterintuitive, however, it works.
This is because your car’s heater doesn’t produce extra heat, but instead it pulls the heat that the engine naturally produces when it is running and pumps it to where you are sitting.
Turning on your heater pulls heat away from your engine thus cooling it off instead of leaving the heat inside your hood to make your engine hotter. This action will give you time to safely pull over.
In addition, open up all of your windows, sunroof, and hatch if you have one to let more heat escape from your vehicle.
2. Pull over as soon as you can and turn off your engine.
Pull over as soon as it is safe
As soon as you notice that there is a problem with your car engine overheating and as soon as it is safe to do so, pull over to the side of the road. If you keep driving when your engine is overheating, your motor is likely to face permanent damage.
If you are in a place where you can't pull over safely and come to a complete stop right away, you should slow down, but keep your vehicle moving to allow a constant airflow around your engine.
The following video shows you how your car's coolant system works.
Your car’s coolant system helps to keep your engine from overheating
Once you have come to a complete stop, turn off your engine. Leaving your engine running will produce additional heat that could make the situation worse.
3. Add coolant once your engine has fully cooled down.
Once your engine has fully cooled down, check your coolant levels. If the levels are low and you have coolant in your vehicle (it's always a good idea to extra with you), then add some now.
The following video will show you how to check and add coolant.
It’s a good idea to keep extra coolant in your vehicle
You can check your vehicle’s owner’s manual for specific instructions on where and how to check your coolant level.
4. Get it checked out.
Even if your car seems to be running okay after you have added coolant, don't be tempted to ignore it.
Something caused your car to overheat in the first place and chances are it will only get worse and become a more expensive fix if you leave it as is.
Get your car checked out by a mechanic you can trust as soon as possible.
Is Your Car Engine Overheating? Don't Do the Following:
1. Don't Slam on your brakes.
Stay calm and don’t slam on your brakes
If you see smoke coming from your engine, your first instinct might be to panic and slam on your brakes. Slamming on your brakes is never a good idea, and it could cause you to lose control and get into an accident.
You should also avoid the temptation to swerve through traffic to get off the road faster. Instead, keep calm. Slow down and check your surroundings for a safe place to pull over.
2. Don't Keep driving.
One of the worst things that you can do is to just keep driving. Yes, you might be able to reach your destination before your engine totally gives up, but by doing so, you could be causing significant and expensive damage that could have been prevented.
3. Don't Open up your hood right away.
Wait for your car to cool down before opening the hood
Even if there is no visible smoke coming out of your engine, don't be tempted to open up your hood right away. You could get burned or badly injured by the steam and smoke built up inside that will release as soon as you open the hood.
Wait until you see that the temperature gauge for your engine has gone done before popping the hood.
Don't be tempted to check your coolant levels or add more before your engine has completely cooled down either.
This is because while you are driving, the coolant in your car is increasing in temperature and pressure. Therefore, it needs to be completely cooled down before it will be safe for you to add coolant to your engine.
4. Don't Ignore the problem.
A car engine overheating means that there is a problem. Even if everything seems okay once you have added coolant, it's best to still get it checked out.
Don't ignore the problem. Get it checked out by a mechanic you trust. There could be another issue that needs to be resolved and ignoring it could result in a larger repair issue than it needs to be.
HOW To TELL IF YOUR Car ENGINE IS OVERHEATING?
Steam or white smoke is a sign of your car engine overheating
There are a few ways that you can tell if you engine is overheating. These include:
The temperature gauge for your engine (located on your dashboard) will suddenly hit "H" or will be in the "red zone" depending on the type of gauge you have.
You'll see steam, which actually looks like white smoke, escaping from underneath your hood.
You'll notice a strange smell coming from your engine. If you are leaking engine oil it will have a burnt odour but if you are leaking coolant, it will smell sweet.
What Causes Car Engine Overheating?
There are several things that could cause your cooling system to fail and your car to overheat. These include:
Too little or no coolant
A clogged, leaking, or ruptured coolant hose
Worn out or frayed belts
A broken water pump
A cooling system leak
A cracked or leaky radiator
A broken radiator fan
Low engine oil level
Broken thermostat
A clogged or blocked engine heat exchanger
If you have any of these issues, it's a good idea to get them addressed as soon as possible.
IS YOUR CAR Engine OVERHEATING? TAKE IT TO HANSMA AUTOMOTIVE
If your car engine is overheating, contact Hansma Automotive. Here are the reasons why:
Over 33 Years of Service: We've been serving the Waterloo region with the highest quality automotive services since 1987.
Locally Owned and Operated: You can feel good about supporting a locally owned and operated family business.
True Customer Care: At Hansma, we truly care about our customers. We will do our best to provide you with great customer care and service. When you come to Hansma, you'll be treated like family.
Honest Customer Service: Our customers have come to appreciate our honest service. Our word-of-mouth referrals continue to be our largest source of new customers.
Competitive Pricing: Whether you are looking for the best tire change Kitchener has to offer or you require one of our other automotive services, our highly trained technicians will be able to diagnose and fix your vehicle at a highly competitive price.
Reliable Repairs: You can rely on the technical expertise of our friendly staff to keep your vehicle in peak condition.
Contact us today to book your appointment.
WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS ARE SAYING…
““I am a single mom and I have find a lot of shops will try to take advantage of women because they think that we don’t have a clue.. I have found at Hansma Automotive they take the time to explain options and prices and only repair what needs to be done. A good mechanic is hard to find. I came here because they were highly recommended by a friend and haven’t been disappointed.””