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Express Car Care of Denver

"Denver's Best Auto Repair and Quick Lube"

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Why Is My Car Overheating?

June 21, 2021 by Denver Express Car Care

The temperatures are climbing – 90, 95, 100. You’re stuck in traffic, and it’s hot!

You look over to the side of the road. Standing there is a person with the hood of their car propped open, smoke pouring out in all directions. Their car is overheating. 

Aren’t you glad it’s not you? 

Yet you stop to think about the probability of you being in the same situation. Your vehicle is several years old. You change the oil, put new tires on periodically. Maintenance? You bring it in when there seems to be a problem.  What more can you do?

Are you in a situation where your car might overheat? 

Why a car overheats

Your car’s engine can overheat for a variety of reasons. In most cases, it’s because something is wrong with the cooling system, and the heat isn’t able to escape the engine compartment. The source of the cooling system issue could be many things, including:

  • A cooling system leak
  • A faulty radiator
  • A broken water pump
  • A clogged coolant hose

No matter what causes an issue, allowing your engine to overheat in any way isn’t something you want to linger. The longer it goes unchecked, the more damage your engine can sustain. Until it eventually sustains permanent damage and can’t be repaired. 

What are the signs of an engine overheating?

Luckily, an engine doesn’t overheat without a few warning signs along the way. This is why it’s good to pay attention to your vehicle as it ages. If you see any of these warning signs, take steps to cool your engine before it overheats more. You may be able to reduce the risk of irreversible engine damage. Signs of overheating include:

Why Is My Car Overheating?

Steam – this is the one thing we all recognize when we see people pulled over to the side of the road. If you notice any amount of steam leaking from underneath the hood, pull over as quickly as you can. 

The engine temperature gauge increasing – the monitors on your dashboard are there to warn you of potential problems. If you see the temperature gauge increasing, spiking up towards “H” or to the red, it’s time to pull over and turn off your engine. (Temperature gauge icons change depending on the make and model of your car. Take the time to become familiar with your vehicle before you drive it.)

A strange smell coming from the engine compartment – if anything is leaking, it’s going to give off a smell outside of ordinary. Coolant has a very distinctive sweet smell, while oil dripping anywhere into the engine compartment would create a burnt smell. 

If you notice any of these symptoms of overheating, pull over as soon as you can, turn off your vehicle, and let the engine compartment cool down. 

The engine is overheating … now what?

When you first see warning signs of an engine overheating, time is of the essence. The faster you act, the greater chance you have of limiting damage, meaning less cost from repair bills. If you notice any of the signs from above, do these things. 

Turn off the air conditioner and crank up the heat.

You often see cars by the side of the road, smoke billowing from underneath the hood, in the middle of a heatwave. When you’re running your air conditioner at high for miles, it adds stress to the engine. If it’s weakened to begin with, it can be more than it can handle. To reduce the stress, turn the air off and dial it to maximum heat. This can help pull the heat away from the engine to keep it from overheating. This gives you a chance to find a safe place to pull over. 

Safety first

Immediately look for a safe place to pull over. This isn’t the time to put your safety at risk – cars are easier to replace. Put your car into park and shut off the car. This gives the engine a chance to cool. Keep the engine off for at least 15 minutes. You can also keep an eye on the temperature gauge, as it should move back to the normal range as the engine cools. 

Check your coolant levels

After your vehicle cools down, you can check to see if your coolant level is low. If it is, topping it off and adding more coolant can prevent overheating and allow you a chance to bring your vehicle in to get things fixed. Keep in mind that this step won’t do much good if the coolant hose is clogged, or if the problem stems from a broken fan or water pump. If you’re unsure, towing your vehicle might be the safest route. 

Restart your car

If your car appears to be back to normal, and you’ve chosen to drive it to a mechanic, start the car and watch all signs while you carefully drive your car to the repair shop. Keep an eye on the temperature gauge. If it rises again, pull over and consider having it towed. 

The key to lowering your repair risks is not to panic. If at all possible, pull over, turn the vehicle off, and don’t keep driving. This exacerbates the problem. 

Also, be aware that you should never open the hood immediately as soon as you pull over. That steam is hot! Opening it could put you at risk of burns and injuries. Let the temperature gauge settle before popping the hood. 

How to prevent your car from overheating

The easiest way to recover from an overheated vehicle is never to have it overheat in the first place. Taking care of your car ensures that it will always be there for you. 

This means scheduling regular inspections to allow a mechanic to inspect and test every system of your car. This can find minor problems that can snowball. Regular coolant flushes can keep fresh coolant inside your vehicle, and prevent leaks and blockages by finding them before they become a problem. 

You can also stay up to date on all other maintenance items, such as ensuring your radiator is inspected and in good shape, according to manufacturer’s guidelines. 

It’s far more beneficial and less expensive for checkups each season than allowing your car to show signs of a potential problem, and waiting until your car breaks down. 

Schedule your maintenance visit today. 

Filed Under: Engine Tagged With: Car Overheating

Car Overheating?

July 3, 2013 by Denver Express Car Care Leave a Comment

Don’t let your Fourth of July celebration be put on hold because your car is overheating!  More than just the comfort and convenience of being able to control the temperature inside your vehicle, your car’s heating and cooling systems are necessary in preventing your vehicle from overheating due to extremely high operating temperatures.  Your cooling system is what keeps your car from becoming too hot, so it’s a good idea to have it checked each time you have your car in for a routine service.

All the parts that make up the cooling system, the radiator, radiator top hose, radiator bottom hose, thermostat, thermostat housing, water pump, electric cooling fan, and a thermo-time switch, all work together to accomplish one thing.  They move coolant around the engine so it can absorb and dissipate heat.

One of the main reasons for a car to overheat is a lack of coolant in the car’s cooling system.  This happens if there is a leak somewhere in the system and the coolant is escaping or if fresh coolant hasn’t been put in the radiator.  The radiator is the most prominent part of the cooling system.  Every time you drive, your radiator uses up a coolant and water mixture that helps to lower the temperatures in your vehicle’s engine system and keep your car from overheating.  The coolant that has traveled through the engine is pumped through the tubes of the radiator and is cooled off for another round.  If your coolant isn’t changed, the hoses and passages get dirt and sludge built up in them and the coolant can’t flow rapidly enough to cool the engine.  This is why it is important to have your coolant mixture replaced routinely.  When the coolant breaks down there is more stress on your radiator and your engine runs hotter than normal.  Dirt and deposits also build up and reduce your car’s performance.  An extended use of bad coolant can result in damage to your radiator that would require it to be replaced.

Another cause for a car to overheat is a thermostat that’s stuck.  If the thermostat is stuck in the closed position it blocks the coolant from flowing to your engine.  A damaged water pump or cooling fan or a clogged radiator can also cause your car to overheat.  These should all be looked at and diagnosed by a trained mechanic and not something that you should try to figured out alone.

The most important thing to remember if your car is overheating is don’t continue to drive it!  Pull over and turn the car off, by doing that you might avoid the severe and costly damage that overheating can cause.

For all of your Denver Auto Repair needs, trust Express Car Care.  Call (303) 691-2760 or stop by our shop today.

Filed Under: Car Maintenance Tagged With: Car Overheating

Express Car Care
4200 E. Evans Ave. Denver, CO (map)
Phone: (303) 691-2760
Located just southeast of the Colorado Light Rail station

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