Here’s Why Your Car is Overheating

Your Car’s Cooling System Doesn’t Work

If your car’s cooling system is not in prime running condition, you risk overheating the engine. There are a few things you can look for and check, but the first thing to consider is the radiator.

Check the Radiator

The main part of the cooling system is the radiator. It keeps the engine from overheating, helping to circulate cooling fluid, regulate its temperature, and prevent engine damage. The radiator, in some circles, takes a more important place in the lineup of engine parts than even the timing belt when it comes to the day-to-day operation of your car. Check for leaks in the radiator itself, as well as in any hoses. There might be coolant sprayed over the engine compartment, or dripped onto other parts. Check areas where you frequently park for any stains or evidence of coolant dripping out of the radiator.

Related: My Check Engine Light Is On

How Your Car’s Cooling System Works

A car’s cooling system works by pumping liquid coolant through the engine block and cylinder heads to collect heat. It then flows past the thermostat, which monitors temperature, and into the radiator in front of the engine. The radiator disperses and circulates the coolant through thin tubes, or fins. Air flows over the fins and cools the fluid. The coolant is then pumped back into the system by the water pump to collect more heat and repeat the process. The water pump keeps the fluid moving through the system, pushing the coolant through a system of hoses and channels within the engine.

Proper maintenance of your car’s cooling system is essential to the life of the engine. If you have any questions about your car’s systems, maintenance or repairs, come to AAMCO Colorado where a friendly, local mechanic can help. We’ll run a complete diagnostic inspection if you are experiencing any kind of engine or transmission heat issues. If your cooling system needs adjustment or repair, we’ll identify the problem and tell you what is required to fix it before proceeding with any work.

There are many things that can cause your car to run hot.

Weather

Though rarely is weather the actual cause, it can strain a cooling system that is already having problems. If your car’s cooling system is struggling, extra hot or cold weather can add a lot of strain. Hot weather obviously contributes to the conditions in which your car operates, along with road and traffic conditions. Even cold weather might contribute to overheating, if the coolant (aka anti-freeze) freezes or thickens and cannot circulate.

Related: Keep Your Coolant System from Freezing

Driving Habits and Conditions

Your driving habits and the conditions in which you drive have direct influence on your engine’s running temperature, as well as your cooling system’s ability to keep up. Stop and go traffic is rough on an engine, with constant revving, speeding up, and slowing down. Long stretches of idling can cause a lot of heat to build up in the engine, too.

If you regularly tow heavy loads, this can add a lot of stress on – and heat within –many systems in your car, not just your engine. If you do this towing in hot environments, this will add another factor to your engine’s operating temperature.

Road and environmental conditions, such as bumpy, dusty or rough dirt roads, affect how hard the engine works and how much heat is generated. The excessive dust and dirt that comes with these adverse conditions can clog air and oil filters, as well as contaminate other fluids and systems, if they are not kept up properly.

Coolant

If the coolant fluid level is low, obviously the system will not be able to process the maximum amount of heat out of the engine. Also, if the coolant-to-water mix is incorrect, this will affect the performance of the cooling system in both hot and cold weather. Make sure you use the right kind of coolant, too. Different cars require different levels of protection.

Cooling System Leaks

Leaks can occur throughout the cooling system. It is made up hoses and channels in and around the engine that can crack or break with age, wear and tear, or in extreme operating conditions. A good regular maintenance schedule can help you identify issues before they become major problems, breakdowns, or severe damage.

Cooling System Blockage

If the coolant can’t easily circulate through the cooling system, it can’t help cool the engine. Some common causes are a faulty thermostat that does not open, mineral or crud buildup in the hoses or channels throughout the system, or some other obstruction, such as a piece of rubber from a broken hose.

Failed Water Pump

This is one of the more common causes, as the water pump is the hardest working part in the cooling system. It keeps the coolant moving and circulating, so when it fails, the system just stops. It is not long before the engine overheats if the water pump fails.

Failed Radiator Fans

The fans that sit behind the radiator keep air flowing through the radiator while the vehicle is moving slowly or is stopped with the engine running. If these fans stop working, then every time you come to a stop the engine temperature will rise.

Low, Dirty Oil

As always, the importance of the right kind of clean oil cannot be stressed enough. Oil plays a large part in keeping the engine cool. It lubricates engine parts to reduce friction, which is a major cause of heat. A good regular maintenance schedule will insure that your engine oil – regular or synthetic – is always at the right level and in optimal condition.

Transmission

Did you know that an overheating automatic transmission can cause the engine to overheat? In cars with automatic transmissions there is a separate transmission radiator cooler which sits inside the radiator tank. Transmission fluid is processed through this separate tank and cooled. If your transmission is not running at optimum levels with clean fluid, it is prone to excessive wear, friction, and slippage – all of which creates a lot of heat that has to be processed by an already hard working cooling system. Keep your transmission in good running condition and you’ll help your cooling system last longer – and vice versa.

Related: Reasons Your Transmission Is Overheating

Things to do when your car overheats.

Safety first.

Here are some things you can do right away that will help cool your engine if it begins to overheat while you’re driving. Always be safe – both on and off the road.

Turn off the air conditioning, put the car in neutral.

In stop and go traffic, or when driving through hills or mountains, air conditioning can cause a lot of extra strain on the engine. If you see the heat rising, turn off the A/C and open the windows instead. In traffic, putting the car in neutral each time you come to a stop and have to idle for more than a few seconds helps reduce the speed at which the engine is running, which in turn keeps it cooler.

Turn on the heat and the inside blower.

It might not be comfortable, but turning on the heat and the blower inside the car will help dissipate the heat in the engine compartment. This can be effective if you’re stuck in traffic or idling a lot and you see the engine temperature gauge rising toward the red zone.

Turn off the engine.

When the temperature gauge red lines and warning lights go on, take heed! Pull over as soon as you safely can, shut the car down, pop the hood open, and let the engine cool off on its own.

Let the engine cool off completely.

Once you’re in a safe spot – pulled over, in a parking lot, or hopefully at home or at a mechanic – make sure you give the engine plenty of time to cool off. Those warning lights you saw before are meant to help prevent damage to the engine, but you won’t be able to look into any possible problems until the engine has cooled off.

Never touch or take off the radiator cap.

This is for your own safety. The cap is hot and the superheated fluid inside the radiator is under high pressure – it will blow out and burn you.

Check for leaks, cracked hoses.

Once the engine has cooled to a point where you don’t feel heat coming off of it. There is most likely a leak in the cooling system. Check around the radiator and engine area for signs of any fluid leaks or sprays. Check hoses for cracks or breaks. Other possible problems are a failed or faulty thermostat, failed water pump, or blockages within the system – all of which require a visit to your mechanic.

Monitor the temperature and be careful.

If you have to start the car back up and start driving again, keep an eye on the temperature gauge and warning lights. Driving fast or slow won’t make a difference either way. Something is wrong with your car. Do your best to move it to a safe place where you can get help.

AAMCO Colorado Can Fix Your Overheating Car

Visit an AAMCO Colorado transmission repair and total car care center near you. When larger issues arise and you need cooling system repair, schedule an appointment for a system diagnostic test before it’s too late.

If you have questions about your car’s road readiness, or about car repair and maintenance topics, AAMCO Colorado can help. You can also go online and use the AAMCO Colorado Ask a Mechanic feature to submit your auto repair questions. They will be answered by a real AAMCO Colorado mechanic as soon as possible.
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