Overheating is disastrous for your car’s engine. There’s a lot of parts within the engine itself that can become warped by even a little bit of extra heat. That’s something you want to avoid. Here’s what Certified Auto Repair wants you to know.
Something in the Cooling System Has Failed
The cooling system covers a lot of ground under your car’s hood, and for good reason. Heat is your engine’s enemy, so your car needs a lot of tools devoted to keeping the engine cooler. If something in the cooling system, like the water pump or the radiator, have failed, that’s going to cause big heat issues in your car’s engine.
You’re Out of Coolant
One major component of the cooling system is antifreeze or coolant. This vital fluid flows through the entire cooling system, helping to draw heat out of the engine. Then it flows to the radiator where it disperses that heat. If there’s not enough coolant flowing through the cooling system, then it can’t keep up with the heat produced by the engine. Checking coolant levels is easy because the reservoir is typically easy to get to and it’s semi-transparent so you can readily see the level from outside the reservoir.
The Thermostat Isn’t Working Properly
One piece that you can’t really access easily on your own is the thermostat. This is a tiny, simple on/off a device that keeps track of temperatures. When the thermostat opens, that’s the cue for the coolant to flow. When it shuts off, the coolant slows and stops. But if the thermostat is stuck either open or closed, the cooling system doesn’t have information about what to do. That’s when you run the risk of overheating the engine.
You Skipped Other Maintenance
Preventative maintenance is so important for your car. It helps you to find problems before they’re really problems and it prevents big issues from even happening. In terms of overheating issues, you want to get the cooling system checked periodically. This helps to ensure it’s working properly. But you also need to be doing things like getting your oil changed on time, because that helps to keep the engine cooler, too.
Don’t let overheating kill your car’s engine. Contact us today at Certified Auto Repair in Henrico, VA. We’ll find out why your car is overheating and help you to know what needs to happen next. We’ll get you back on the road again quickly and safely.
