An overheating automobile is more dangerous than you might realize. Especially if the engine gets so hot that you can see steam coming out from underneath the hood. Midwest Auto Care can find out why your car, truck, crossover, or SUV is overheating constantly. But first things first. It’s important to ensure that you remain safe when your car overheats. Let’s talk about what you should do and the reasons why your car might be overheating constantly.
Steps to Take When Your Car Begins to Overheat
There is a trick that can reduce your engine’s temperature, but it’s only a temporary fix. If you turn your heater all the way up to the hottest temperature, heat is drawn away from the engine to the heater core and this helps reduce your engine’s temperature. This is effective for short distances only, and it does not protect your engine when you sit at a red light or stop sign. The better game plan is to find a safe place to pull your vehicle over, turn on your hazard lights, and shut the vehicle down. Call for a tow truck to the nearest auto service shop, or call for roadside assistance to come and replenish your coolant.
Reasons Why Your Car Is Overheating
Again, these are temporary solutions to permanent problems. If your car overheats constantly, there is something wrong underneath the hood that needs to be fixed sooner rather than later. It’s important to understand that the more you drive an overheating vehicle the greater the chances you have of causing serious engine damage, including cracking the engine block. Your car may be overheating because
- You have clogs in the cooling system blocking the engine coolant
- You have a cooling system leak and low engine coolant
- You have a radiator hose that is clogged or worn and needs replacing
- You have dirty engine coolant filled with damaging debris
- Your thermostat is dead and not releasing engine coolant
- Your water pump is dead or malfunctioning or leaking
- Your radiator fan is not working and cooling down the coolant
- You have clogged air inlets to the radiator
- Your radiator is damaged, clogged, or rusted and leaking
The bulleted list is just problems with the cooling system. Your car might also overheat constantly because you have dirty or low motor oil, the catalytic converter is clogged and backing up, the exhaust manifold is leaking, or you’ve blown a head gasket. All of these things can make your car overheat every time you drive it, and all of these things should be repaired immediately.
We can help here at Midwest Auto Care. We are the best auto service shop in Lake Station, IN, and we’d be happy to inspect your engine to find out why it’s overheating constantly.
