Tips To Prevent An Overheated Engine

Posted on: 6 September 2017

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An overheated engine damages the motor of your vehicle and may result in a costly auto repair bill. Overheating is typically caused by malfunctions in the cooling system and numerous other components in the car engine. During the summer season, the extreme heat on the pavement increases the likelihood of engine overheating. While you can turn to auto repair whenever your engine overheats, there are also some useful tips to prevent this problem:

Coolant Level

Your vehicle has a cooling system that helps maintain the engine's optimum performance and prevent it from overheating. The most important tip to maintain the cooling system operating properly is to check and maintain your coolant. Keep your coolant level above the minimum mark and check for leaks. Have your auto repair mechanic perform routine coolant flushes. Otherwise, you can change your coolant every 50,000 miles.

Air Conditioning

While it is understandably tempting to use your car air conditioning unit during a hot day, doing so actually causes engine overheating. Running your air conditioner puts extra strain on your engine, hastens its heating, and makes it difficult for the coolant to regulate the engine's temperature. So, if preventing the engine to overheat is a priority, you should avoid using your air conditioner during extremely hot drives.

Plugged Radiator

Engine overheating is not exclusively caused by problems in your vehicle's cooling system. Sometimes, it can also be caused by a plugged radiator which prevents the system's liquids to circulate efficiently and to cool the engine efficiently. The best thing to do is to look for a radiator specialist in your auto repair shop to remove rust, sediments, and other foreign objects plugging your radiator.

Temperature Gauge

Your temperature gauge can give you the earliest warnings of engine overheating. It allows you to make immediate precautionary measures such as turning off the air conditioner, pulling over and turning off the engine, among other steps that can cool off the engine.

Overall, preventing an overheated engine is about being committed to constantly checking the various engine parts and being vigilant in the earliest warning signs of overheating. Your coolant level, air conditioning, radiator, and temperature gauge are among the topmost things you can consider for overheating prevention. However, if engine overheating still occurs, the best thing to do is to just let your engine cool off. If you lack the knowledge, tools, and skills to check your engine once it overheated, have your car checked in an auto repair shop to prevent further damage.

Contact a company like Dean's Auto Repair Inc for more information and assistance.