Knowing what to do if your car warms up allows you to be able to respond to a situation that may even pose a danger to your safety. After letting the engine cool down, you have to assess whether you can solve the problem yourself or it is preferable to go to a mechanic. Here, we answer the question of what to do if your car overheats. We will explain the possible causes so you can give a quick and effective response to the increase in temperature of your vehicle.
What to do if your car overheats?
One of the things you have to do if your car heats up is to check that the radiator front grilles are not clogged due to dirt. Especially if you have just made a long trip with your vehicle, insects, leaves or other particles may have been embedded in these grids. To clean them, use water under pressure. Continue reading: Car tips for summer
If the car is excessively hot, you should stop and tell a crane to take you to a mechanic. If you drive with the engine at very high temperatures, there is a severe risk of damaging vital and costly parts. This overheating can be because the water does not circulate correctly through the cooling circuit. You should know that, on average, you should replace this liquid every 2 or 3 years, although what you have to do is consult the recommendations of the manufacturer of your car.
Another alternative if your car is heated is to check if it has run out of coolant. In case of emergency, you can resort to filling the water tank yourself until you can buy refrigerant or go to a mechanic. Of course, you must be very careful not to burn yourself, so you have to wait for the engine to cool down.
If your car gets hot is to park it?
Turn off the contact and open doors and windows. Then, protecting your hands to avoid burns due to high temperatures open the hood to encourage the engine to cool. Then you must assess if you can perform the checks that we propose or if you prefer to go to a mechanic.
It must be emphasized that if the car has reached very high temperatures, it is preferable not to circulate with it until a professional has reviewed it. The goal is to avoid damaging engine parts that can be very expensive to replace. So it is always preferable to call a crane to take us to a workshop.
Considerations
Although the first thing is to try to solve the immediate problem, the next thing we are going to think about is how to act so that it does not happen again in the future. For this we must first ask ourselves a question: the engine gets hot, what can it be? Once we know the causes of the increase in temperature of the car we can find solutions to fix it. Here we will explain what the reasons of why the car temperature rises are:
Radiator cap
The first thing you should do before overheating the car is to see if the radiator cap is stuck. Over time, or on long trips, insects, leaves and other dirt clog the radiator grille preventing proper ventilation.
Lack of coolant
If problems persist, you should check that the engine coolant level is correct. Never do it with the hot engine, you could suffer burns, remove the lid when the car is cold, and if the level is shallow, that will surely be the cause of your problem.
Jam in the thermostat
A clogged thermostat is another possible cause of the motor overheating. If there is a problem in this part of the car, the flow of coolant between the engine and the radiator can be blocked.
Fan off
If you still can not find the cause that warms up your car, you should look at the status of the radiator fan. This piece has the objective of turning on when the engine reaches a temperature, thus relieving the heat, but if it does not ignite when this happens, it can be dangerous for the driver. To check it, start the engine and let it warm up. If although the temperature goes up the fan is turned on, you will have a problem in the radiator.
Doing proper regular maintenance of your car will help you minimize the risk of finding yourself in a situation like this where the vehicle gets too hot.
