Why Is My Car Overheating?

You’re driving along and all of a sudden a warning light on your dash turns on. You notice that your cars temperature gauge is in the red – your car is overheating. If this has happened to you, then you know how frustrating and scary it can be.

Keep reading and find out what to do if your car overheats and what might be the cause.

What Do I Do If My Car Overheats?

1. Pull over

The first thing you should do is turn off your engine immediately and wait for your engine to cool down. The longer you let your car overheat, the more extensive the damage to the engine will be.

2. Don’t open the bonnet straight away

Don’t open the bonnet of your car immediately. Doing so can put you at risk of burns and other related injuries. Wait for your engine to cool down before taking a look.

3. Have it fixed straight away

An overheating issue can quickly damage your engine and is generally an issue that won’t go away on its own. Having it fixed right away is the best way to ensure your engine isn’t damaged beyond repair.

Common Reasons A Car Overheats

Water Pump Failure

Your water pump cycles the coolant through your engine, your radiator and various other cooling components. If your water pump dies or the belt that drives it snaps, you should have it replaced by a of professional mechanic.

Low Coolant Level

If your coolant level is low, your water pump won’t be able to push it through your engine. The good news is that topping up your coolant is easy to do. If you are continually running low on coolant, you may have a leak in your cooling system or a blown headgasket.

Blown Head Gasket

A blown head gasket can be both the cause or result of an overheating issue. A blown head gasket allows coolant to leak out of your cooling system into the engine and air to get into your cooling lines. This can cause a number of issues from overheating to a warped cylinder head.

A Stuck Thermostat

Your thermostat regulates your engine temperature by opening and closing, in turn controlling the flow of coolant to the radiator. If the thermostat is stuck closed, the radiator can’t suck heat from the coolant, leading the temperature to rise quickly.

If you’re car is overheating and you need to have it fixed, contact the professional team at Australian Mechanical. They will have your car back in working order in no time.