Would You Know What TO Do If Your Vehicle Overheats?

Outside temperatures climb during the  summer months.Temperatures inside your vehicle’s engine bay can near 200 degrees. In this type of heat, it’s important to keep your engine cool.

Your vehicles cooling system is usually up to the task. If the needle of your temperature gauge rises or you spot steam coming from under your hood, your car may be overheating.

When your auto overheats, it often means something is wrong with one of the cooling system components, which includes  your fan, radiator, thermostat, hoses and coolant. 

Here are a few steps you can take to help track down your problem and get back on the road.

• Turn up the heat. While it may seem counterintuitive, turning your heat on full blast can actually help disperse the heat coming from your engine. 
• Find a safe place to pull over. Driving your car when its overheating can cause serious – and sometimes permanent – damage to your engine, so it’s best to stop driving as soon as possible. Pull over, away from oncoming traffic, then turn off your engine.
• Open your hood. After parking your car, open your hood to let excess heat escape – then, stay back to let things cool down. Never touch a hot engine with your bare hands!
  
• Look for leaks. You may not be a mechanic, but some cooling system issues aren’t difficult to identify. Look at your radiator and hoses to see if you can find leaking coolant. 
• Fill your coolant. If you can’t find a leak, you may be low on coolant.  To check your coolant level, you’ll need to remove your radiator cap – but only after your engine has cooled off. Once your engine is cool, use a towel to slowly remove the cap. Your coolant should reach the top of the radiator. If it doesn’t, top it off. And be sure to check the plastic coolant expansion tank, if your car has one. Most cars use a 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze, but you can just add room temperature water as a temporary fix.

If your car was low on coolant, you can start it back up after topping it off. Keep an eye on your temperature gauge to ensure that it is in a safe range. If you found a coolant leak, or your coolant was full, it may be  time to call your mechanic.