What To Do When Your Car Overheats

Few things are as terrifying as the idea of your car overheating, especially during a trip to work or a ride on the highway. You may feel helpless, stuck, and without the proper equipment to make it through the experience if you don’t have the knowledge behind what’s going on. Fortunately, there are a few tricks to try when your car overheats before immediately resorting to a cooling system service or anything similar. No matter what, if your vehicle overheats, it’s time for a car inspection to deduce the root causes of the excessive heat. Before that, try out these steps to see if you can’t remedy the situation on your own.

Pull Over

If your vehicle begins overheating and does not stop for a few minutes, pull over immediately if you’re able to. Cut the engine off after parking and wait until your system cools down before attempting to lift the hood. If your dashboard warning light is flashing, then it’s definitely time for a car inspection.

Counter-Heat

If you don’t have a chance to pull over but your gauge is creeping toward the “H”, turn on your heater. It may sound like a strange concept, but the transfer of heat toward your AC system can actually draw heat away from your delicate engine. In doing so, the engine’s cooling system can get a break, and in some cases, you can bring your engine temp back to normal.

Add Coolant

The most obvious reason your vehicle may be overheating is due to a lack of coolant because of a leak, or the coolant itself has decreased too far in quality. When my coolant level is decreasing in an accelerated fashion, I head straight to a Jiffy Lube near me because determining the source of a coolant leak is quite difficult. However, if I’m on the road and I need to solve an overheating situation, first I pull over and wait until the car cools down. Then, with gloves intact, I open the hood and carefully remove the radiator cap. Finally, I pour a mixture of water and coolant into the reservoir until it hits the full line. When I start the car again, if the gauge is back to normal and there are no warning lights on, then the temperature is okay for now. If I don’t have the tools on hand when my vehicle overheats, then I go in for a cooling system service at a Jiffy Lube near me.

Service Time

The causes behind an overheating vehicle can be anything from torn up rubber hoses to blown gaskets and internal leaks. Without professional assistance, I’d have a slim chance of finding the true problem, so I make sure to check in with a Jiffy Lube near me to clarify the issue. Not only can they provide any replacement parts I may need in the process, but they can also perform a cooling system service if necessary to replace my outdated or scarce coolant. A simple car inspection can reveal exactly why the vehicle has been overheating, and with some easy maintenance, your car can be cooled down before you know it.