Why Your Car is Overheating
Andrew Stratton
June 28, 2011
There are a lot of reasons why your car can start over heating and regardless of the cause it is vital to stop driving the car until you can have a proper car repair job done or you will certainly be risking some very expensive car repair issues such as a blown head gasket or cracked head gasket. Since the head gasket is a vital component of your car´s engine, it can mean replacing the entire engine if the gasket is damaged. This is entirely preventable if you adhere to the warning signs that your car is over heating and take the appropriate action.
The most obvious indicator that you are having problems with your car´s coolant system is the reading on your thermostat or heat gauge. Normally your car should be registering at the mid level on the gauge. If the reading begins to climb above that mid level point and continues to go up or stays up high, you have problem that needs to be addressed.
There are several reasons your car can overheat starting with your car´s coolant system. The most obvious and cheapest is the radiator cap isn´t on tight. If the cap is loose or off completely the radiator system won´t build up enough pressure to work correctly and your car will over heat. Wait until the car engine has cooled down and tighten the cap. Never attempt to mess with your car´s radiator system while the engine is hot, the coolant can spray you and cause severe burns when this cap is removed from a hot engine.
If you find your cap was on tightly the next obvious indicator is you are low on coolant. You can check this yourself fairly easy and if you are low you can add more coolant. To test your coolant level simply park on a level grade and let your car ideal with the heater turned all the way up on high. If you aren´t getting any warm air blown back on you, you´re probably low on coolant. Be sure to add the right mixture of 50/50 coolant. If your mixture ratio is off your system won´t respond correctly and will over heat.
Other car repair issues that can be causing your car to overheat include an undetected leak from your radiator hose or a faulty water pump. Your car´s fan may be stuck or broken which means it isn´t running and it isn´t contributing to your car´s coolant system the way it was intended to. Or your thermostat could be stuck in the closed position which is an easy car repair fix.
Finally if none of these are the problem you may have a clogged radiator. If your car´s radiator system hasn´t been flushed and maintained properly it can become clogged with rust and other contaminants. Flushing your radiator system should fix the car over heating any more if this is the root cause of your car´s problem.
When needing car repair Little Rock residents know quality when they see it. For more information please visit http://www.meineke-littlerock.com/.
The most obvious indicator that you are having problems with your car´s coolant system is the reading on your thermostat or heat gauge. Normally your car should be registering at the mid level on the gauge. If the reading begins to climb above that mid level point and continues to go up or stays up high, you have problem that needs to be addressed.
There are several reasons your car can overheat starting with your car´s coolant system. The most obvious and cheapest is the radiator cap isn´t on tight. If the cap is loose or off completely the radiator system won´t build up enough pressure to work correctly and your car will over heat. Wait until the car engine has cooled down and tighten the cap. Never attempt to mess with your car´s radiator system while the engine is hot, the coolant can spray you and cause severe burns when this cap is removed from a hot engine.
If you find your cap was on tightly the next obvious indicator is you are low on coolant. You can check this yourself fairly easy and if you are low you can add more coolant. To test your coolant level simply park on a level grade and let your car ideal with the heater turned all the way up on high. If you aren´t getting any warm air blown back on you, you´re probably low on coolant. Be sure to add the right mixture of 50/50 coolant. If your mixture ratio is off your system won´t respond correctly and will over heat.
Other car repair issues that can be causing your car to overheat include an undetected leak from your radiator hose or a faulty water pump. Your car´s fan may be stuck or broken which means it isn´t running and it isn´t contributing to your car´s coolant system the way it was intended to. Or your thermostat could be stuck in the closed position which is an easy car repair fix.
Finally if none of these are the problem you may have a clogged radiator. If your car´s radiator system hasn´t been flushed and maintained properly it can become clogged with rust and other contaminants. Flushing your radiator system should fix the car over heating any more if this is the root cause of your car´s problem.
When needing car repair Little Rock residents know quality when they see it. For more information please visit http://www.meineke-littlerock.com/.
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