The weather is turning right into summer with warm temperatures getting even warmer. The air conditioners are being turned on full blast to help people cool off. Hopefully most of the cars out there have been serviced recently to ensure the air conditioner will work well all summer. For those that haven’t been serviced recently there might be real headaches during the peak of the hot season. An overheated engine can occur at any time; hot days and stop-and-go traffic are a really tough combination. Keep an eye on the temperature gauge in the dashboard, if it is creeping up into the red zone or has a warning light screaming “TEMP”, it is time to take action. Worse yet is the steam billowing out from under the hood.

Overheating is one of the first indicators of a cooling system problem. It can be one of a couple of issues, it can be loss of coolant from a leak in a hose or radiator, a worn or broken fan belt, a bad water pump or thermostat, or an electrical problem, or a clogged radiator. The radiator is the main component of the cooling system and the radiator can become clogged with rust and debris. This reduces the radiators ability to transfer heat and it reduces the effectiveness of the entire cooling system. Because the engine works harder than most of the other parts on the vehicle it has a tendency to overheat, the cooling system helps keep it operating at the proper temperature. Problems with the cooling system are the leading cause of mechanical breakdowns on the highway.

At the first sign of an engine overheating, it must be checked out. It is possible to slow down the overheating if you are driving down the freeway in the middle of traffic. Turn off the air conditioner and turn the heater on full blast. Don’t forget to open the windows so you don’t overheat yourself. Drive to a safe location, pull off and turn the car off, raising the hood will allow the heat to escape the engine. It will take about a half an hour for the engine to cool down. At this point it is probably time to call for assistance in the way of a tow truck. The temperature of the engine is very important; if it is too hot it can ruin the engine. Overheating can lead to expensive damage including cracked head gaskets and bent heads. In very serious cases the engine may have to be rebuilt. One thing to keep in mind is that the warning light is there to warn you but by the time it does come on your car has overheated into the danger zone and the engine may already be damaged.

This is one car problem that no one wants to ignore. Procrastinating on repairing an overheating car can end up costing a whole lot more in the long run than it would have at first incidence. Vehicle maintenance is necessary in order to keep our vehicles in the best condition. We all have an auto repair center we trust with all the details of our vehicle repairs. All things considered under the hood, the professionals know exactly what to do from simple maintenance to complete engine rebuilding. Remember taking really good care of your vehicle is insurance that it will also take very good care of you.