How to Prevent Your Car from Overheating

As the summer heat has just begun, we need to protect our cars' health along with our skin. Cars require that extra care, or we could experience an overheated engine, which could damage your vehicle. There are several reasons why your car can get heated up, and here are a few checks that will help you prevent it.

1. Check Your Temperature Gauge:

It's important to keep an eye on the temperature gauge, as there are several reasons why it might have a high reading. One common reason is that your car's engine is overheating, but others could include a low coolant level, a broken thermostat, or a failed water pump gasket. Continuing to drive with a high-temperature gauge is very dangerous!

If you see that the temperature gauge is reading high, you should first turn off the air conditioner and open the windows. Check the gauge again after a few minutes. If the temperature has not dropped, pull over to a safe location, turn off your engine, and let your car cool down for at least 10-15 minutes. Once the car cools down, you can conduct all the required checks associated with a temperature gauge’s functioning.

2. Check Your Dashboard Heating Light:

This is a small icon that looks like a thermometer with a couple of waves under it. Even this represents your coolant levels, so if this sign comes up, check your coolant levels immediately.

 

 

3. Check Your Fan Belt:

Conducting regular fan belt checks is essential to prevent your car from overheating. A loose fan belt will affect the radiator fan’s functioning, and a damaged fan belt will completely stop the functioning of the radiator fan, which will overheat your vehicle.

It's always a good practice to keep the fan belt free of debris and check for signs of wear and tear. It‘s usually very easy to identify a faulty fan belt. You can in fact hear a loud squealing noise from the engine compartment as soon as it is broken.

Other signs of an overheating engine:

Steam or Smoke: If your vehicle’s radiator fluid is overheated, it emits steam or smoke from under the hood of your car.

Unusual Engine Smell: When an engine is overheating, it melts a few engine components, and a weird smell is emitted, which could be similar to that of a fuel or a plastic burning smell.

If you notice any of these signs, it's important to pull over to a safe location and let the engine cool down. Don't continue driving, as this could cause further damage to your engine. While the engine is cooling down, you can look for a nearby car mechanic or contact your breakdown service.

It's important to remember that driving with an overheated engine can cause serious damage to the engine and lead to expensive repairs. It's also not safe for you or other road users.

We hope our article will help you conduct appropriate checks and prevent your car from overheating. If you require any engine-related repairs, don’t hesitate to contact your nearest Perrys dealership.

Tags: *Car_Overheating *Car_Checks *Engine_Health *Overheating_Signs *Protect_Your_Car