What Causes a Car to Overheat?
A vehicle’s engine can overheat due to a problem or combination of problems which inhibit or impair its ability to maintain an appropriate operating temperature. Continuing to drive a vehicle that is overheating will cause serious damage to the engine and can cause chain reaction damage to other components that are vital to engine function. If your temperature warning light comes on or the temperature gauge begins rising toward “hot,” it is important to pull over immediately and turn off the engine. Never attempt to open or touch a radiator immediately after an engine has overheated to prevent burns and injuries to you. While some engine damage has likely been done at this point, turning off the engine right away can prevent further harm. Some potential causes for engine overheating are addressed below.
▪Coolant Loss: Engine coolant, a broad term commonly used interchangeably with the more specific term anti-freeze, helps regulate a vehicle’s engine temperature, serving purposes such as preventing overheating, preventing freezing and hindering corrosion. A coolant leak is a very common cause of engine overheating, and can happen in a number of areas. Hoses, water pumps, the radiator, head gaskets and cylinder heads are just a few of the areas that should be considered when checking for coolant leaks.
▪Fan Issues: The fan situated between the radiator and the engine is an important component to a vehicle’s cooling system, pulling outside air in to regulate temperature. Mechanical fans incorporate a mechanism called a fan clutch, which is designed to make the fan spin fast enough to cool the engine as needed and decrease at times when the fan is not needed. The fan’s clutch fluid helps regulate this process, and its leakage or deterioration is a common cause of overheating. A fan should be checked and possibly replaced if it wobbles or spins easily when pushed or if there are signs of a fluid leak around it.
▪Damaged Belts and Hoses: The condition of belts and hoses should be periodically checked for quality and secure connections. Belt slippage may prevent proper water pump operation or interfere with fan performance, leading to overheating.
▪Radiator Clogs: After engine coolant or antifreeze (mixed with water) absorbs the heat that has been created by the engine, the radiator cools it before returning it to the engine. Radiator clogs, which can be caused by intake of debris, bugs and dirt, may block airflow and reduce the radiator’s ability to disperse heat as it should, impairing its cooling ability. A clogged radiator can possibly be removed and cleaned but may need an overall replacement.
If your vehicle has overheated, the thermometer likely incurred damage in the process and should be tested for proper functioning and potentially replaced after other repairs are complete. Periodic evaluation of a vehicle’s cooling system for undue wear, fluid leaks, belt and hose condition and clogs can help identify issues before the true problem of overheating occurs.
About the Author: Greg Chapman, of Greg Chapman Motors, is a leading used car dealer Austin has depended on since 1959. For more information please visit Greg Chapman Motors.
▪Coolant Loss: Engine coolant, a broad term commonly used interchangeably with the more specific term anti-freeze, helps regulate a vehicle’s engine temperature, serving purposes such as preventing overheating, preventing freezing and hindering corrosion. A coolant leak is a very common cause of engine overheating, and can happen in a number of areas. Hoses, water pumps, the radiator, head gaskets and cylinder heads are just a few of the areas that should be considered when checking for coolant leaks.
▪Fan Issues: The fan situated between the radiator and the engine is an important component to a vehicle’s cooling system, pulling outside air in to regulate temperature. Mechanical fans incorporate a mechanism called a fan clutch, which is designed to make the fan spin fast enough to cool the engine as needed and decrease at times when the fan is not needed. The fan’s clutch fluid helps regulate this process, and its leakage or deterioration is a common cause of overheating. A fan should be checked and possibly replaced if it wobbles or spins easily when pushed or if there are signs of a fluid leak around it.
▪Damaged Belts and Hoses: The condition of belts and hoses should be periodically checked for quality and secure connections. Belt slippage may prevent proper water pump operation or interfere with fan performance, leading to overheating.
▪Radiator Clogs: After engine coolant or antifreeze (mixed with water) absorbs the heat that has been created by the engine, the radiator cools it before returning it to the engine. Radiator clogs, which can be caused by intake of debris, bugs and dirt, may block airflow and reduce the radiator’s ability to disperse heat as it should, impairing its cooling ability. A clogged radiator can possibly be removed and cleaned but may need an overall replacement.
If your vehicle has overheated, the thermometer likely incurred damage in the process and should be tested for proper functioning and potentially replaced after other repairs are complete. Periodic evaluation of a vehicle’s cooling system for undue wear, fluid leaks, belt and hose condition and clogs can help identify issues before the true problem of overheating occurs.
About the Author: Greg Chapman, of Greg Chapman Motors, is a leading used car dealer Austin has depended on since 1959. For more information please visit Greg Chapman Motors.
Labels: car overheating, car overheating causes, causes of overheating, engine overheating, radiator problems, temperature warning light
posted by Greg Chapman at
2:46 PM
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