A car, pulled over on the side of the road with the hood open and smoke or steam coming out of it. That’s a familiar sight, right? A car that overheats is a common problem, especially during the summertime. Cary, North Carolina is no exception to that summer heat, which increases the chances of a car overheating.
However, overheating doesn’t only happen during the summer, it can happen at any time of year. Avoid the inconvenience of having to pull over and wait for roadside assistance on the road by preventing your engine from overheating. Here are our top tips on how you can do that.
Monitor Your Car’s Coolant Level
One of the best ways to prevent your car from overheating is to perform regular car maintenance. That would include checking the car’s coolant levels. You have to make sure that the levels aren’t too low. Aside from that, you also have to check the water levels in the radiator too.
As there are various car technologies that prevent accidents, the coolant is also there to prevent overheating issues. The engine naturally heats up while it is being used. However, with the proper coolant levels and quality, it is efficiently cooled to avoid overheating. Just remember that you should only open the radiator when the engine is cool.
Keep An Eye On Your Temperature Gauge
Before your car overheats, there are signs that could tell you that it is about to heat up at dangerous or risky levels. One way to keep track of the temperature is to check the temperature gauge that’s located on the dashboard.
You should do this especially when you are having long trips. Don’t just drive for long distances in a single go. The more you use the car without rest, the more it heats up.
Don’t sacrifice the health of your engine just to save time. Making stops to rest your car and take a rest yourself helps you avoid your car from overheating and other driver-error-related accidents as well.
Turn The Air Conditioning Off
Another thing you could do to help avoid your car from totally overheating is to turn off the air conditioning. That should reduce the car’s load so that it doesn’t push itself too hard.
Pull Over And Stop When The Engine Starts To Overheat
Don’t wait for smoke or steam to come out of the vehicle before you decide to stop and pull over. If the engine is already starting to overheat, it is best to stop immediately than to risk further damaging the vehicle.
After pulling over, open up the hood so that the heat escapes. It can take about 15-20 minutes before the steam is cleared. Afterwhich, you can now put water on the radiator to help cool it down. Don’t rush in putting water because the shock of the different temperatures may lead to a crack in the engine block. That’s why you have to let it cool off a bit first.
Make Sure There Are No Coolant Leaks
The coolant is responsible for cooling the engine. The coolant needs to be topped off accordingly but if there is a leak, you’ll observe that you’d have to top off very often.
Take a look underneath the vehicle after parking it. Make sure that there are no puddles of liquid underneath. The coolant puddle underneath the vehicle is different in appearance from the oil puddles.
Do A Radiator Flush
It is great if you keep your coolant at its optimal level but you also have to replace it regularly. In order to do that, you need to remove the old coolant not only in the reservoir but also in hoses. You can clean the lines with a fluid flush so that your new coolant doesn’t get contaminated with the old one that’s left in the lines.
Check Your Thermostat
Apart from your coolant and the radiator, the thermostat is also the part that you should check. The thermostat helps regulate the flow of the coolant through the engine. If the thermostat is faulty, then it may not be able to properly control how much coolant should go through the engine to properly cool it.
Check On Your Drive Belt
The car’s drive belt is also an important part of the car that should be checked to avoid overheating. Take a closer look and watch out for signs of wear and tear. When it breaks, there would be no water pump that is used for the coolant circulation. That means the engine will quickly overheat.
Make Sure The Radiator Cap Is Free Of Damage
A faulty radiator cap or one that isn’t properly closed can lead to pressure differences in the system. When that happens, the coolant will also not be able to efficiently flow as needed. One thing to check in the cap is the spring, which can weaken over time. It should be replaced to make sure it fits securely and to obtain proper pressure within the system.
If your car overheats in the middle of the road, anywhere in Cary, North Carolina and you don’t know what to do, pull over and call Agile Towing Company for help. With the 24-hour roadside assistance, you can be confident that they’ll come to rescue anytime you need them…
