Overheating in a vehicle can be inconvenient, especially if you are in a hurry. You’ll have to pull over to the side of the road and wait for your car to cool down before proceeding to your destination. The summer season, and particularly traffic jams, can be extremely taxing on both your car and you.
Prepare yourself and your vehicle for hot weather by considering what causes your vehicle to overheat. We’ve outlined eight possible causes to help you figure out what’s causing your car to overheat. But, before we get into those, here’s what you should do as soon as you notice the temperature gauge rising to prevent the car from overheating further, which can be dangerous.
If your vehicle begins to overheat, you should pull over and have it towed to a nearby mechanic to avoid thousands of dollars in damage. You can save a lot of money by determining what causes your car to overheat, and here are eight potential problem areas to look into.
- Leak in the Cooling System
When a small leak goes unnoticed for an extended period of time, it can cost you a lot of money in a matter of days. They are also frequently the cause of your car overheating. Check for leaks in the cooling system, radiator, water pump, and thermostat. If you do come across one, have it checked and repaired as soon as possible.
- Low Concentration of Coolant
If you keep up with regular vehicle maintenance, your auto repair shop will most likely ensure that the vehicle has enough coolant. If your car continues to overheat despite routine maintenance, you should have the coolant checked.
Overheating can occur when the wrong coolant is used or an unbalanced mixture of coolant and distilled water is used. A bad combination can also turn the coolant into a corrosive agent, causing significant damage to the vehicle’s components.
- Inspect the Radiator
The radiator’s operation can be hampered by blockage, leakage, or damage. Because it is so important in cooling the engine, a faulty radiator is frequently the cause of your car overheating. Check on your radiator on a regular basis to ensure that it is in good working order.
- Broken Thermostat
Another critical component of the cooling system is the thermostat. When the car begins to heat up, it detects the temperature and allows coolant to pass through. A faulty thermostat prevents coolant from passing through, causing the engine to overheat and continue to burn.
The engine should not be allowed to overheat for extended periods of time in order for the vehicle to operate optimally. It can cause significant damage to the vehicle and become a major issue.
- Ruptured Hose
The hose transports the coolant to the engine to ensure the cooling of the vehicle. However, if the hose is damaged or damaged, the coolant will not reach the engine. It leaks and destroys the vehicle’s cooling water circuit, overheating the engine.
- Radiator Fan Is Broken
The radiator fan’s job is to circulate air around the coolant to reduce its temperature so that it can continue to cool the engine. A broken fan, on the other hand, cannot circulate air efficiently, allowing the coolant to heat up and render it unable to cool the engine.
- Water Pump
The water pump is the coolant system’s beating heart. The water pump, like the human heart, generates pressure to force the cooling agent through the coolant circulation system.
When a pump fails to generate enough pressure to allow coolant to reach the engine, the vehicle temperature rises. Because corrosion can easily damage your vehicle’s pump, you should have it checked on a regular basis.
- Broken Belts
Belts that are broken or loose impede the car’s overall mechanism. They can overheat the vehicle in a variety of ways. They can not only cause friction, which generates excess heat. A broken belt in the coolant system also makes the entire cooling system inefficient and causes the vehicle to overheat.
Ideally, you should have your vehicle checked as soon as you notice it overheating. Do not wait until it starts spewing smoke from the hood before paying attention to your car. If your car is more than five years old, you must be extra cautious with its maintenance. Here are a few more suggestions to keep your vehicle from overheating.
How to Keep Your Car from Overheating
- If your car is getting old and has a history of overheating in the summer, here’s what you can do to keep it from burning up.
- Keep your vehicle in the shade and out of direct sunlight. It assists in keeping the engine at a reasonable temperature so that when you start it, your car does not have to work extra hard to cool it down.
- Keep the window closed and the air conditioner turned off. When you turn on the air conditioning, the engine has to work harder, and many older vehicles struggle under the added strain of having to cool the car down in extreme heat.
- Maintain a close eye on the gauge. This is something that everyone should do because even new vehicles can overheat.
- Refill engine coolant as soon as the summer season arrives. This can save you a lot of trouble and money in the long run.
- Have your radiator checked and flushed. The most common cause of car overheating is a leak or clog in the system. Cleaning it and adding new coolant keeps the car cool and helps it run at peak performance.
Conclusion:
We have provided answers to what causes your car to overheat as well as some prevention tips. While engine overheating is a serious issue, it is easily avoidable if you keep up with your maintenance schedule. If you love and care for your vehicle, it will never leave you stranded. Ignore its needs, and it will become a financial burden.