What to Do When Your Car Overheats

July 8, 2019

It’s fairly common during the summer for cars to overheat while in use. While any indication of an overheated car requires immediate auto cooling repair in Hanford, CA, there are many signs and reasons why your vehicle might be experiencing this issue.

Overheating car warning signs

You’ve heard that cars can overheat, but you have no idea what to look for when it comes to your own vehicle. There are three things to keep an eye out for:

  • Water vapor or steam billowing from under the hood (please note that this can sometimes look like smoke)
  • An odor coming from your engine
  • The vehicle’s temperature gauge rises above the normal limit

As soon as you witness any of these symptoms of an overheating car, pull over to the side of the road to determine the cause. Pushing your automobile to get to its original destination could cause further damage or worse. Also, you’ll want to immediately turn off the air conditioner (if it’s running). The AC system generates a lot of heat that will further strain your car’s components and worsen the issues.

Why is your car overheating?

Now that you’ve pulled over to a safe place, it’s time to figure out why your car is overheating.  There are a number of reasons your vehicle’s engine might overheat:

  • Coolant isn’t properly circulating: As its name indicates, coolant helps keep the temperature beneath the hood manageable. However, if this fluid isn’t circulating properly throughout the system, your car can overheat. If your car is overheating and you see that your coolant level is low, add a cup of water and carefully drive to the nearest shop offering auto cooling repair in Hanford, CA.
  • Coolant is leaking: A leak can cause your vehicle’s coolant to poorly circulate, thus leading to your car overheating. Again, top off the coolant with a cup of water and drive to a repair shop for an estimate.
  • Damaged hoses: Coolant won’t properly circulate or stay in your vehicle if there’s a broken hose. It could be that the hose is detached or just worn out entirely. If your coolant level seems normal but your vehicle is overheating, get yourself to an auto repair shop to minimize further damage.

My car is overheating. Now what?

As we’ve already mentioned, if you notice one or more of the warning signs listed above, you need to pull over to a secure area as soon as possible. Then do the following:

  • Turn off your air conditioner to reduce the load on your engine
  • Turn on your heater to release some of the heat from the engine
  • Rev the car’s engine while it’s either in park or neutral to stimulate the radiator
  • Open the hood to release heat and steam and allow for circulation

Do not touch anything under the hood until the engine and other parts have had sufficient time to cool. Of course, you’ll want to check the fluid level under the radiator cap, but doing so while the engine is overheating could cause serious injury.

Has your car been overheating recently? Don’t ignore the problem! Bring your vehicle in to a shop trusted for the highest quality auto cooling repair in Hanford, CA. Visit AAA Sandoval Transmission today or call to schedule an appointment!

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