In summer, every day we can see motorists standing at the roadside with opened bonnet, from which comes steam. However, only few people know that they could prevented the engine from overheating. Most often the loose water pipes, low antifreeze levels and other maintenance issues caused the overheating.
What can we do to prevent this?
The engine of the car converts the petrol into heat. The car cooling system protects the engine from overheating, and allows to warm the engine up as quickly as possible evenly in order to minimize that the cold damages the engine components. The coolant protect the car from overheating.
Here are some useful tips:
– Do not use pure water as a coolant. The coolant responsible not only for cooling of the engine, but has also a role of corrosion inhibitor and lubricant.
– Hold in the car spare cooling water. If we will have a problem with the engine in a deserted place and we need coolant type, add any type (tap water, well water, etc ..) of water until we get cooling water. The water can be good if the radiator is leaking, or if we get stuck and have to wait for help.
– Check the cooling system by a car mechanic (especially if nobody have not looked at him two years ago). This system provides the cooling of the engine. If it fails, isn’t cheap to repair or replace.
– Pull the radiator cap when we check the coolant level. The cooling system operates at overpressure, must adhere tightly to allow the liquid to expand and contract.
– Do not grip the radiator cap when the car is hot. It can cause third degree burns on our hands and our faces the outflow of high-pressure steam. If it’s a cold, still be very careful when we are take off the radiator cap. Protect hands and face.
– Let’s get off the road immediately if the temperature indicator indicates overheating, or we hear hear gurgling sound from the engine compartment. A few extra kilometers leadership of a faulty cooling system, able to destroy the car’s engine.
What to do if the car is overheating?
1. If we can stand somewhere safely
- Pull over, stop the car. If you see the escaping steam from the bonnet, stop immediately.
- Open the bonnet to distribute the heat (note that in some cars the radiator cape is close to the release latch, so the steam can be easily burn us)
- Do not open the radiator cap when the engine is warm.
- Check the coolant and, if necessary, fill it. In most cars, through plastic container we can look the level of the cooling water.
- If we can, look for the leak in the cooling system (radiator, water hoses, gaskets – in these occur leaks). If we don’t have so much skills looking for a car mechanic and ask them to conduct a pressure test of the cooling system.
- Decide whether to go on or stop and call for help (if we could spend the coolant level, we can go further, but dont’t forget the error is still standing)
2. If we can not stop and we must continue to drive (such as jam)
- Turn off the A/C – the air conditioning is charged the motor, right now this load as far as possible, we must reduced.
- Turn on the heat – sounds strange, but effective. The heater uses heat from the engine to heat up the passenger compartment. So a part of the heat can escape through the radiator. At this time . It is advisable to roll down the windows, and the vents direct out the window.
- Note the temperature on the dashboard – it necessary, stop the engine. If the engine is overheated, it may be destroyed.
- If possible, turn off the engine, but once stopped, give it back the ignition – at this time the engine stops, but the cooling fan continuously operates and cools the system.
- If we are in a traffic jam, try to move slow, not to overload the motor.
If the engine is overheating, and the above steps are completed, but the temperature light does not want to turn off or the temperature on the dashboard does not want to fall, stop the car and call for help. If the temperature light is extinguished, then let’s move on, but look for a mechanic as soon as possible.
Important: Never pour ice gold water into the warm engine, it can cause serious damage. If we fill water into a warm, but not hot engine, we start the car so is mixed with the “cold” water more quickly.
