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When Your Engine Is About To Overheat
Date: Oct 19th, 2007 2:55:54 am - Subscribe
Mood: clumsy


A car can overheat in the most unexpected moments. A leaking radiator can be a cause of this. In general, a vehicle's engine can overheat if its cooling system malfunctions. In order to combat the occurrence of such problems, it is recommended that one should use the proper coolant and not just water in a car's cooling system. There's a reason why companies specially formulated coolants for automotive cooling systems. Compared to pure water, a coolant has a lower boiling point. That means the risk of your engine overheating is stronger if you are only using water on your radiator.

Here are some tips to remember when your engine overheats courtesy of Wikihow.

  • If your car does overheat and steam starts to come out from under your hood, you'll have to pull over. You can add coolant (or water if you don't have coolant) to the radiator, but be careful opening it. When you take the cap off, steam will pour out and scald you. Instead, place a towel over the cap and radiator, grip the cap through the towel, twist and pull away quickly. It is better to open the radiator cap while the engine is idling rather than turning it off.
  • Do not pour cold water onto the engine or radiator. This can cause casings to crack.
  • Do not turn the engine off to add water. If the cold water you are pouring in comes in contact with the very hot engine it will crack the block and it's then time to replace the engine! It ensures that no steam will pour out when you twist open the radiator cap because hot water is still circulated by the water pump."
  • If your coolant is leaking somewhere, then you will have to continually replenish it. Pull into locations likely to have a garden hose that they won't mind you using. Churches are usually a good bet.
  • In extreme cases, the engine may continue running after you turn the key to off. This is because the engine is so hot that it is auto-igniting even without the electric spark. In this situation put on the handbrake and then put the car into gear - this will cause the engine to stall.
  • If you are in slow-moving traffic, you can pop your hood. It will stay closed on the safety catch, but open a small gap, allowing greater ventilation.

    These are just some of the things you can do if your car is acting up due to overheating. Always remember that is better to shell out a few bucks for a coolant than having to purchase a new engine.


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