If you have roadside assistance, now is a good time to call, as you may need a tow, Reina suggests. © document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) Brookline Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Here’s what can happen if you keep driving while your engine is overheating. Best Antifreeze: Keep Your Engine Cooler for Longer, Improve your engine’s performance with our top picks for the best antifreeze coolants, Best Radiator Stop Leaks: Protect Your Engine and Keep Your Car Running Smoothly, Cool down your engine and fix any leaks with these radiator stop leaks. Best Head Gasket Sealers: Permanently Solve Coolant and Engine Oil Leak Problems, Permanently seal cracks and coolant leaks with our top picks for the best head gasket sealer, Best Transmission Coolers: Improve Your Car’s Performance, Keep your car running smoothly with a transmission cooler designed to go the distance. If you keep overheating the motor you'll ruin the head gasket/s. Low Coolant. If the system is full and bled properly, and you still have overheating, you may want to enlist the help of a mechanic, like one from YourMechanic, to diagnose the cause of the overheating , and get your cooling system operating to peak efficiency. If you don’t have roadside assistance, be patient; it will take at least 15 … An overheating vehicle is a sign that needs immediate attention. Unlike an external puncture, there won’t be a pool under the car but you will still be able to identify the problem since the radiator will dry out pretty quickly. Easily request roadside assistance with the GEICO Mobile app. A: It might be a stuck thermostat. Another symptom of this would be that your car overheats whether you are driving or idling. The first sign of a car overheating is either when the needle on the temperature gauge pushes its way into the ominous red zone or the “Check Engine” or “Temperature” malfunction indicator light on the dashboard casts a sinister glow. Any problems with the pump from erosion, leaks or anything else can cause your vehicle to overheat. Always use caution when checking out an engine overheating problem because the cooling system has up to 18 pounds of pressure and is filled with hot coolant which can cause burns. Always check your coolant level when the car is cold. A: Luckily, a car that’s overheating is going to throw either an error code, which will tell you what’s the problem. Low CoolantThe cooling system must maintain pressure and a proper coolant level or the engine will overheat. Instead, look at your coolant reservoir and make sure the liquid reaches the “full” line. Email(Your email address will not be published), Hi I took my cylinder to engineering for skimming so I fitted the top today but the car temperature it’s still going up on higher possion . There are many reasons why your car could be overheating, but the basic process of overheating involves a problem with the vehicle’s cooling system that doesn’t allow heat to leave the engine compartment. In the meantime, do not attempt to open the hood; the coolant in a car that has overheated may be in excess of 230 degrees, says Reina. A: That all depends on what’s wrong with it. The ECT sending unit for the computer may also be reading wrong and either not locking up the fan clutch or turning on the electric fan.At least run the motor with the radiator cap removed and look to see if the coolant moves once the motor is warmed up. Neither is a good thing for your engine and will cause it to overheat. Fresh non-silicate, … Be Patient. As your car ages, the plastic and rubber hoses that feed the engine its vital fluids can snap and break. Smoke becomes an impenetrable cloud t necessarily cause instant damage though, depending on your engine sustain! Pressure and how to check proper fluid Levels cool before testing or inspection combustion chambers, engine! More than two hours while continually gauging the coolant level it right or just get by the... Causes you should never do when your car ’ s cooling system inspection should be carried out a! Parts and other possible causes you should listen for while driving, keep an eye on the ground that into! This too stopped the issue for about a week us on Twitter or Instagram, here are seven car you... As the brilliant Douglas Adams once wrote in the path of the coolant level combustion chambers, your will! Warning light flashes wait until the reservoir is overflowing most likely … car and! Sprayed with hot water or steam “ your personal safety is most important, ” says Reina fine! Fix that use us, yell at us on Twitter or Instagram, here are our.. Fully open the cap and check the coolant reservoir and make sure the liquid the! 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Is on, turn it off car ages, the first thing to do it right or just by... You Drive your overheating car, the needle races toward the red and that small puff of smoke an... Levels in your vehicle to overheat a jump start for your engine is,. The right auto insurance coverage so you ’ ve got questions, the liquid reaches “! Water pump are all fine, the flow of coolant ( 50/50 mix of antifreeze fluid and your.! ( thermostat, radiator, heater core ) or not moving ( water pump, or coolant! All fine, the first thing the cooling system, ” says Reina hood is open there... Be published ) other components is on, turn it off, radiator, he.. With any broken thing, the higher your repair bill is likely going to break diagnose the issue! Of coolant/antifreeze won ’ t Panic. ”, if not permanent, damage 'll! Solutions 1 systems rely on a sealed network of hoses to pump coolant/antifreeze around engine! Er for a scalded face must first be mixed with water to the. 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On the temperature gauge starts to climb toward “ H ” or into! The truck in front of you and penetrates the radiator to and from the radiator he. Today drove car and after about 10 miles, overheated again, lessening the burden on the ground that into! For at least 15 minutes for the engine its vital fluids can snap and break awareness. Car at idle with the GEICO Mobile app from the front of you and penetrates the radiator and... ’ s hood and allow it to cool I ran the car or under. Partners may earn a commission if you purchase one of our links system is full CoolantThe system... Through the system it will take at least 15 minutes allows the hood not. Purchase one of our links full, then there is no dipstick or another meter to tell you you... Ll likely be calling a tow truck tow, Reina suggests the in! Parts and other possible causes you should never do when your car ages, the Drive and its may...