Dealing with an overheated engine is a stressful and annoying situation. To ensure it won't catch you off guard and you'll know what to do, read this tutorial that Lee ; Rita Downhill in Frankford have put together for you.
If you've ever dealt with an overheated engine, you know that it's no walk in the park. Especially if you're in the middle of the road, it's hot out, and there's a lot of traffic, having your vehicle shut down due to extreme conditions can be incredibly annoying, stressful, and even dangerous.
Still, this is a situation that can happen from time to time. As we go into the hotter months of the year, the likelihood of it taking place increases. Moreover, if your engine has overheated and shut down before, chances are it will happen again.
To ensure you will handle this situation expertly and safely, the following post will share the best tips to deal with an overheated engine.
A well-maintained engine is far less likely to overheat. Call Lee ; Rita Downhill in Frankford at (613) 398-1144 or browse AMSOIL's online store to feed yours with the best products for it.
How to Manage an Overheated Engine
Try to Keep It From Happening
Even if you can't turn back time, the best way to deal with an overheated engine is to avoid it altogether. As the temperatures rise again, your engine can overheat more easily. To ensure this won't be the case, take extra steps to prevent it:
Provide the maintenance your vehicle needs (especially to the engine and its oil replacements and the cooling system).
As the heat starts rising, park in the shade and use sun shades to keep some of the sunshine off your vehicle.
Keep a bottle of coolant or water in your vehicle in case your engine does overheat. This is even more important if your engine has overheated before.
Your engine won't overheat from one second to the next. It will start telling you little by little that its temperatures are getting extreme. Catching these signs earlier will help you keep it from shutting down:
Watch out for the temperature gauge in charge of telling you the engine's temperature. If you notice it's getting hotter, start acting accordingly.
The high temperatures stress your engine and make it work extra hard. which overheats it more. To relieve some of the stress, turn the AC off and roll the windows down.
Even if it's hot outside, you may want to blast the heater as it can help get some of the heat off the engine.
Hopefully, by following these measures, you will prevent a shut-down engine in the middle of the road.
If you notice that the temperature keeps rising, even after you did the things above, you will have to find a safe space where you can stop and deal with the engine. If you're in the middle of a traffic jam, here's what you should do:
If the vehicles aren't moving, put your vehicle in "Neutral" and let the engine rest.
If you are moving, go steady and slow to avoid overworking the engine. Put your hazards on and slowly move towards the side of the road.
Finally, it comes time to actually deal with the overheated engine. If you've made it to a safe place, you should do the following:
Turn the vehicle completely off and let the engine rest.
Let the engine cool down for about half an hour before you move on to the next step, lest you burn yourself.
Pop the hood open, locate the reservoir and pour a bottle of coolant (or water) into it. Use your owner's manual for reference.
After this, you should be able to move your vehicle again.
Even if you can work this out on your own, take your vehicle to a mechanic for further examination.
If you want your engine to work smoothly and powerfully for many years, you must maintain it correctly. Call Lee ; Rita Downhill in Frankford at (613) 398-1144 or browse AMSOIL's online store to place an order on the best products for its maintenance.