An overheated car usually means replacing broken components or fluids. Considering engine replacement costs $2,000 at minimum, it’s better to replace any broken coolant components and save your engine.
The temporary fix for when your car gets too hot is to turn the heat to full blast, stay at about 2-3000 RPM, roll the windows down, and keep the car moving. That is until you can get to a safe place to turn it off and wait for a tow.
This is the best procedure because you likely won’t be able to tell instantly what the issue is. But what causes engine overheating? Keep reading to know what to do when your car gets overheated.
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Fanning the Flames: A Broken Radiator Fan
A radiator fan can break due to worn fan clutches, a blown motor, or physical damage. This will prevent air from flowing across your radiator, especially when idle. This means air temperature will fluctuate through the AC as well, from cool to lukewarm.
Believe it or not, many of the signs of a car struggling to keep its cool are tied to climate control equipment. If you’ve already gotten automotive window tinting services you can easily miss fluctuations in AC temperatures.
Broken Belts on the Beltway
A serpentine belt helps to power the components of your car. A worn or broken belt can easily cause issues with the water pump, and other components that are essential for keeping it cool.
Another sign of a worn or broken belt is an AC that doesn’t blow at a consistent strength.
A Dead Water Pump
If the water pump broke, then there won’t maintain the cooling system of your engine. The water pump circulates coolant through the radiator and heat block. It doesn’t need to break completely for issues to start. It could even start with spiking heat while you’re moving slowly or idling.
The radiator fan can help keep the engine cool if it’s still working, as well as air movement across the engine as the car is moving. The point is that this is the beating heart of your coolant system.
Your Water Broke: Coolant Leaks
Broken or worn hoses, corroded radiators, and clogged heat blocks are all reasons for overheating. If the water pump is the heart of your coolant system, the radiator is the lungs. The hot coolant is pumped through the radiator and cooled on its way back to the water pump.
Coolant can get sludgy as it ages or gets the wrong ratio with distilled water. It’s also more corrosive as it increases in concentration. This wears away hoses and metals, causing leaks.
A dry or clogged radiator is a dead one.
Bad Thermostat
Imagine if your body didn’t get the idea that it needs to sweat. That’s what happens with your car when your thermostat dies. When the thermostat is stuck closed, it blocks the movement of coolant to the engine.
The engine needs some heat to run efficiently, but too much breaks it down. When a thermostat breaks, it’s bad news.
Reasons and Solutions for Your Overheated Car
These are the top five reasons for an overheated car, and the solution is always the same: Replace the component or fluid causing the issue. A car isn’t like a body, despite people telling you otherwise.
We rarely can replace our parts with anything that works anywhere new as good as the original. Fortunately, any work or replacement for your car is more like an upgrade than anything.
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