Severe damages to your engine can result from overheating. When you’re on the road, and the needle on the temperature gauge is on the ominous red zone, or the “Check Engine” or the “Temperature” malfunction indicator light on your dashboard casts a sinister glow, you have to do something RIGHT NOW.
Seriously, if you can’t get a mechanic from any New Orleans auto overheat repair service shop, do everything you can to minimize the potential damage overheating can do to your vehicle. It is crucial to know the causes of engine overheating and how to deal with such a situation.
Car Overheating Quick Fix
Troubleshooting an auto overheat should be an immediate response. Get the temperature down, at least temporarily until you can get it into a shop. Do the following quick fixes to cool down your car:
- Immediately turn off the AC. Running your AC will put a heavy load on your engine.
- Turn on your defroster and your fan on HIGH.
- Turn your heat to HOT. Roll down the windows because it’s going to be hotter inside your car for a while. The heater will push as much heat out of your engine to avoid ruining it. The goal is to cool down the engine as much as possible.
- Put your car in Neutral or park if you’re stopped in traffic and raise the engine speed to allow the coolant to circulate as much as possible. You can rev your engine speed by pressing the gas pedal just enough to get the RPM gauge to 2000 RPMs or the 2-ish mark.
When you rev your engine, the fan and the water pump work faster, pulling more air and more water through the radiator of your car. This will help cool down the engine of your car.
- If you are moving, maintain two to three on the RPM gauge and put the car into the lowest gear while you head to a spot where you can pull over.
- As soon as you pull over, open the hood to release the heat and allow air to circulate through the overheated engine. Be careful as hot steam will blast out as you do so.
- If nothing happens as you try to lower the temperature in about two minutes, TURN OFF THE ENGINE RIGHT AWAY. Do not attempt to drive a little further because this will ruin your engine.
- NEVER attempt to remove the radiator cap while the engine is hot. The hot coolant can spray forth under tremendous pressure and you might get serious burns. Although there are radiator caps that contain a mechanism that attempts to relieve the internal pressure before the cap can be fully opened.
Troubleshooting Your Overheating Car
Troubleshooting is applied to something that has suddenly stopped working. Auto troubleshooting is a form of problem-solving to repair a failed process on a machine or system in your vehicle and trying to make it operational again.
When you experience overheating, done quick fixes, and a mechanic from a New Orleans auto overheat repair service is nowhere but where you are just yet, try these troubleshooting basics on your car’s overheating condition:
- Check the coolant level and radiator cap when your car is completely cool and parked on a level surface.
- Make sure there is no air in the system because bubbles can cause the coolant to not circulate properly.
- Check if the radiator fans are spinning by watching for the fans to kick on. Overheating may be caused by an issue with the cooling fan motor itself or the relay that controls it.
- Make sure that the serpentine belt is intact. The coolant will not circulate if this belt is broken or not tightly attached.
- Check for even small leaks that can be problematic as they let the coolant out. If there is a leak around your hoses, the hoses will need to be replaced.
- Check the thermostat and make sure it is functioning properly. When a thermostat is in bad shape, it will either stick open or stick closed.
When the Quick Fixes and Troubleshooting Won’t Solve Overheating
If you are unable to diagnose your car’s overheating on your own after you’ve managed through the quick fixes and the troubleshooting walkthrough, it’s time to pick up your phone and dial a mechanic from a New Orleans auto overheat repair service who can come inspect your overheating issues.
