What should you do when your car overheats?

What should you do when your car overheats?

Have you ever been in the situation where your car overheats? It can be incredibly stressful – not only does it leave you stranded with a broken-down ride, it can also mean auto repairs in your future (which can put a dent in your wallet). CNM Motors is here to TRY to alleviate some of that stress – check out our tips on what you should do when your car overheats.

Why does your car overheat?

The first thing to do is to know ahead of time what causes your car to overheat. Basically, your car is working hard when it’s in motion and in order to get you where you need to go, things have to stay cool under the hood – specifically, inside the engine block. If you have a lack of coolant or a problem with one of the parts in your cooling system, then overheating is a real risk. Your best bet? Pay close attention to your car, stay on a routine auto service schedule, and check the coolant on a regular basis (especially in the summer).

4 steps to take when your car overheats

What should you do if your car overheats? Don’t panic, first of all – instead, follow these simple steps that we have laid out for you……

Step 1: Pull over and turn your car off.

Once you notice the temperature gauge climbing in your dash, pull over. You should never try to make it to your final destination when your car overheats; you risk doing expensive or irreparable damage to your car. Pull over and park in a safe spot and turn your car off to give it a chance to cool before you assess what’s going on under the hood.

Step 2: Pop the hood.

Once your car has cooled off and the temperature gauge has dropped back down, it’s time to pop the hood and see if you can figure out what’s going on. Check the coolant in the coolant reservoir tank; if it’s empty, you can try adding more. However, if you know you’ve been sticking to an auto service schedule and it should be full you need to look for a leak or a busted/damaged hose to see why it’s not reaching the engine block. Other possible issues that can cause overheating include blocked hoses and a broken water pump.

Step 3: Try re-starting your car.

Once you’ve given your vehicle a chance to cool off and have added some coolant to the tank if it’s needed, you can try re-starting your car. Let it idle for a few minutes to see if the temperature gauge starts to climb again before you attempt to get back on the road.

Step 4: Make an auto service appointment at our partner workshop

When you turn your car back on, assess the temperature gauge. If it stays on cool, you can try to get to your final destination. If it starts to immediately climb, you need to call a tow truck to bring you to a service center. However, either way you need to make an auto service appointment to let the mechanics pinpoint why your car overheated.

Want to make an appointment at CNM Motors today? Call 096 7007 434!