Help! My Car is Overheating: The Step By Step Guide

Summer means that there’s going to be seriously hot days (and thunderstorms to boot)! Though you’ll have plenty of fun at the beach and the pool, your car can experience some problems. Sometimes sneaky issues like low coolant levels can cause your temperature gauge to light up. When this happens, heed the warning! Here are five things you should do when your car is overheating that can keep you stay until you can get it into the shop.

1. Turn Off the AC

Did you know that the energy used to make your car’s interior cool actually makes the engine hotter? Turn off your AC as soon as the overheating starts. This is the first step you should take to cool down your car while you’re still on the road.

2. Turn On the Heat

Turning on the heat may sound like a miserable thing to do, but trust us. Turning on the heat will let some of the excess heat get out of your car until you can get off the road. Call it some immediate (and uncomfortable) damage control.

3. Pull Over

Whenever your car isn’t functioning normally, you need to get off the road. Now that you’ve turned off the AC and are running the heat, you need to pull over and do some more troubleshooting.

4. Rev the Engine

After you’ve pulled over, you’ll need to put your car into neutral or park and rev the engine lightly. Mildly revving your engine will help drop your engine’s temperature. This is usually a pretty quick fix, but it’s just one of the steps you need to take. Ultimately, you should make sure the overheating doesn’t happen again. It’s time to open the hood.

5. Add Coolant or Water to the Radiator

You should always have your car’s preferred brand of coolant and some bottles of water in your trunk for situations like this. When your engine is OFF and cool again, add coolant or water to your radiator if the fluids are low. Please be careful and don’t injure yourself by trying to screw off a piping hot radiator cap!

6. Get Help

It’s crucial that you always keep in mind that these are quick fixes if you find your car overheating while you’re on the road. There’s a good chance that this could be an indicator of a much larger problem with your coolant flow or something else. If you notice your car’s temperature gauge getting into the red, you should contact your local mechanic as soon as possible. Call a tow truck or drive to the nearest auto shop to have your car checked out. They’ll be able to find out why your vehicle overheats in the summer.

Is Your Car Overheating?

Speaking of great mechanics, ASE certified technicians can help in any roadside emergency. Mavis Tires & Brakes is here whenever you need trustworthy and professional TLC for your vehicle. We can fix your overheating issue and get you confidently on the road again. Call our friendly auto technicians today to make sure your car won’t overheat this summer.