FAQ

Several problems can make your car overheat. A leaky cooling system, blocked radiator, bad thermostat, or failed water pump are common causes. It’s the worst feeling you can have as a driver: the indisputable fact that something is wrong. Steam spews from under the hood while warning bells chime and lights flash from your dashboard. Your engine is too hot, and you’ve got to pull over to the nearest parking lot or onto the road shoulder to let the engine cool down. There’s a knot in your stomach – this could be expensive.

No matter how big or small it is, every engine has a cooling system. Very early on in vehicle development, car engines were air-cooled. Essentially, exposure to the air passing over it dissipated the heat from the engine. As engines became more complex and powerful, instances of overheating became more frequent, and a liquid-based cooling system was developed in response.

An engine operates efficiently at a certain temperature. That temperature, even though it is too hot to touch by hand, is significantly cooler than it would be without a cooling system. Overheating is when the temperature of the engine climbs to a point where mechanical damage can occur. Usually a sustained temperature of over 240 degrees fahrenheit is enough to cause concern. Steam coming from the engine area, a temperature gauge spiking to the red zone, and engine warning lights – often shaped like a thermometer – are signs your vehicle may be overheating.

Monitor the temperature gauge on your dash. If the needle goes into the red or an “engine hot” warning light comes on, pull over and turn your vehicle off to prevent damage.