Nothing ruins a trip like an overheated car. Whether you’re on the road trip of a lifetime or simply stopping at the supermarket, if your car overheats, you are not going to have a good day.
To help you protect your vehicle, we’ve prepared answers to all your questions about car overheating.
What happens when a car overheats?
Various problems such as high external weather, low coolant or engine faults can cause the engine to overheat. As the temperature rises, the engine cannot function normally. If left untreated, the engine will continue to overheat.
Why should I worry about car overheating?
Some insurers don’t cover preventable engine overheating, so it’s important to protect your vehicle. You’ve spent thousands on the car, so a little maintenance is a very wise approach.
How bad is the damage to the car if my car overheats?
Overheating can permanently damage your engine – an expensive problem to fix! But that is a worst case scenario, leaving the engine beyond repair. However, milder cases may include cracked head gaskets or warped cylinders.
How can I tell if my car is overheating?
Firstly, keep an eye on your dashboard monitor. Because it’s easy to overlook this, many models feature a light signal that appears when the engine is getting hot. This gives you a handy warning to take action. Another strong signal is smoke or steam coming from the bonnet – always a sign of trouble – stop the car immediately and call for assistance. Another tell-tale sign is hot air coming from the air conditioner, this may indicate that the engine is overheating, or soon will.
What can I do to prevent my car from overheating?
There are three things you should do regularly to prevent your car from overheating:
- Top up your coolant regularly
- Check your coolant fan – and have it replaced if it is damaged
- Keep an eye on the temperature gauge – and have your car serviced if it is consistently high temperature (above 90 degrees)
Of course, the best thing to do is book a service so we can check your car’s cooling system and ensure everything is running smoothly, preventing any cause for alarm.
Contact us to make an appointment today.