The engine is the heart of your vehicle and is vital to your vehicle’s overall operation. When your vehicle’s engine overheats, it essentially stops working and irreversible damage can quickly occur. Engine overheating is never something that you want to have to deal with, especially when it happens when you’re on the road. Let’s look at some of the reasons that engine overheating can occur, how to handle it, and how to prevent it.
Why do engines overheat?
While your vehicle is working, the engine is performing a very complex combustion process. This process emits a ton of heat, which needs to be regulated in order to prevent the engine from overheating. This is where your vehicle’s cooling system comes into play. The cooling system has the important job of circulating coolant, which regulates the engine’s temperature, preventing metal to metal contact, and fights against engine damage.
When there is low or leaking coolant or a problem with a coolant system component, the engine’s temperature isn’t properly regulated, and overheating will occur.
What do you do if your engine is overheating?
If your engine is overheating, you’ll notice that the engine temperature is way too high and you’ll probably see an engine temperature warning light appear on your dashboard. As soon as your engine begins overheating, it’s important to pull over to a safe place and turn off the engine. Turning your vehicle’s heat on is also a good way to help assist in cooling down the engine.
After letting your engine rest for at least 20 minutes, get your vehicle into our shop for an inspection. There is likely a problem with the cooling system, and continuing to drive with a cooling system issue can cause severe engine damage that can be costly to repair.
How can you prevent engine overheating?
The best way to prevent your engine from overheating is with regular maintenance and service of the engine and cooling system. Here at EurAuto Shop, we can help make sure that your engine will run smoothly with regular check-ups here at our shop.
If you suspect that you have an engine or cooling system problem, we invite you into our shop today!
