When Your Car Overheats

What to Do If Your Car Overheats

Taking care of your vehicle is usually simple, as you just book an appointment and handle it then. When the problem needs immediate attention though, like overheating, you’ll need to know how to best handle it. When you’re near Abilene, Sweetwater, or Roscoe, and you’re in need of a mechanic that can tend to your model, you’ll want to make sure that you head to Stanley Ford Sweetwater.

Avoiding Heat

Preventative maintenance is the best kind of maintenance, which is why you’ll want to have your vehicle inspected regularly. While there are a lot of causes for overheating, these are a few of the major ones. 

• Your Water Pump Broke: Your engine is constantly surrounded by water, which helps to draw away the bulk of the heat that it generates. If that pump goes bad though, you won’t be able to cool your model down effectively. 
• You Have No Fluids: Oil is important, as it serves as a lubricant and can also help reduce heat build-up. Coolant is similarly important, as without it, your coolant system won’t work at all. You’ll want to make sure that you have both. 
• You Have a Bad Air Filter: Your engine needs air, which combines with fuel to produce horsepower. When your air filter is clogged, your engine is going to have to work a lot harder to breathe. 

Sizing Up the Problem

You’re going to want to deal with overheating immediately, but if you don’t know how to identify it, you might not know where to start. You’ll want to look for these signs below when you’re worried.

• A Sweet Smell: When antifreeze, or coolant, starts to leak from your radiator, you may notice it as a sweet smell. This is a bad sign, as it’s your main defense against heat.
• Gauges Going Haywire: When your temperature gauge starts to swing wildly, it’s time for you to pull over as soon as possible.
• Lights on Your Dash: If you notice lights popping up on your dash, like your check engine or temperature light, you’ll want to take this as a warning sign.
• Billowing Smoke: Smoke may start to billow out of the front of your vehicle, which could be potentially blinding when you’re driving. You’ll want to make your way to the shoulder in a safe manner.

The Next Step

Now that you know that your car is potentially overheating, you’ll want to make sure that you take the steps below. Once it cools off, you can have it towed to our dealership for maintenance. 

• Pull Over: If you keep driving, you’re only going to cause more damage. When your model is experiencing extreme heat, you’ll want to pull over quickly.
• Crank the Heat: You’ll want to turn the heat all the way up, and the A/C off. This will ensure that you divert as much heat as possible.
• Don’t Try to Open the Hood: You can’t fix an overheating car when it’s still hot. If you try, you’re only going to end up giving yourself horrible burns. You’ll need to let it cool down on its own.
• Call a Professional Immediately: You can always contact us at Stanley Ford Sweetwater when you’re in need of assistance.