A sudden screaming temperature warning light or smoke billowing out of the hood is the last thing any driver wants. An overheating car isn’t something you can ignore, unless you’re prepared to deal with serious damage or complete breakdown.
There are many reasons why an engine may be overheating – a cooling system leak, faulty thermostat, broken water pump, damaged radiator or fan, blown head gasket. Regular maintenance plays an important role in preventing overheating issues because wear and tear on components like rubber hoses, gaskets, and water pumps can potentially be caught before these damaged parts lead to bigger issues. But what can you do if you find yourself in this situation, alternately swearing at and begging your baby to hold on just a little longer?
- Turn on the heater
It’s not going to be pleasant and we can only hope you’re not driving through Upington or the Karoo, but turning on the heater draws the heat away from the engine and into the car instead, reducing the stress on the engine’s cooling system.
- Pull over as soon as you can
You need to bring down the temperature as quickly as possible, and the best way to ensure this happens, and to prevent serious damage or breakdown, is to pull over and switch your car off. No one really wants to be stuck on the side of the N1, but better in the safety lane than in the danger of the middle lane when your car completely breaks down. Now is the time to call a towing service to get your car the help it needs.
What if it’s not safe to pull over? Keep moving only if absolutely necessary, driving as slow as possible to avoid any additional strain on the engine.
- Do not open the hood yourself immediately, or at all
The natural instinct would be to open things up so that they can cool down and so you can see what’s going on, but do not do this. With all that heat building up inside, the second you open the hood it’s likely that scalding-hot steam, smoke or other boiling liquids could spurt up and hit you square in the face. If you have to fix things yourself, give your car at least 15-20 minutes to cool down and then still approach with caution. Better yet, don’t touch the hood at all – leave that for the workshop to handle.