Engine overheating generally serves as an indicative of other problems in the car, such as the decrease of coolant level due to leakage, a stuck closed thermostat, a broken cooling fan or a blocked radiator. Irrespective of the reason behind the overheating problems, the car should be necessarily turned off before the car does any damage at all. Consequently, the following steps should be followed:
- The turn signals as well as flashers should be put on for indicating that the car is being pulled off the road.
- As soon as the problem is detected, heater setting as well as heater blower should be kept at high level, for diverting the heat away from the car engine. However, this solution might only be of help if the overheating problems occur due to the broken fan or the fan belt. After finding a safe parking place on the roadside, the car should be pulled over and the engine should be turned off.
- The hood should be opened next for check the level of coolant in the plastic reservoir tank. However, it should be kept in minds that the radiator cap should not be opened under any circumstances when the car engine is overheated. This is because overheating problems might leave the radiator under high pressure and the hot coolant may cause very serious burns. Some cars also have pressurization inside the plastic coolant tank also. Thus, it might require at least twenty minutes for cooling, before the same can be opened for adding extra coolant.
- In order to counter engine overheating, a funnel should be used for adding coolant into the plastic reservoir, if its level is well below the recommended low line. Appropriate time must always be given for the overheating problems to subside and the car engine to cool down, before opening the cap of the radiator. Consequently, an experienced car mechanic should be called right away for finding and repairing the leakage.
- However, if the engine overheating is not due to the low coolant level, a more complex cooling system problem might be the problem and thus a tow truck should be called under these circumstances. The temperature gauge should be checked periodically for making sure that it does not turn into red.
- To minimize the possibility of engine overheating, the regular maintenance of the same should be carried out. The coolant should also be changed on a periodic basis for minimizing the car overheating risk. The belts as well as the hoses should also be checked from time to time. The car should also be taken to a mechanic, for checking any possibility of leaks, in case the level of the coolant remains low consistently. It should also be noted that the coolant is generally an equal ratio mixture of antifreeze as well as water, but it is not wrong to add only one or the other into the plastic coolant tank.