Why Is Your Car Overheating And What Can Be Done About It?
If you want to avoid spending so much on your car, then one of the most important things you can do is ensure that your taking care of it more regularly and providing it with the maintenance that it needs. If you have recently found that your car hood is a lot hotter than you would expect it to be, it might be a case of overheating, which has a few different potential causes. Here, we’re going to look at some of the most common and what you need to do to keep your car from combusting.
You’re out of antifreeze
One of the most common causes, and one of the most preventable by far, is when you don’t have enough antifreeze (also known as coolant) left in your car. Your car requires a cooling system to manage the heat produced by the combustion and moving parts of the engine. Coolant wears out over time, and you might also have a leak in your cooling system. Make sure you’re changing your coolant on a scheduled basis and if you run out of coolant prematurely, take a look to see if you can find any leaks.
You need an oil change
Your coolant isn’t the only fluid you need to change on a routine basis, either. Overheating can just as easily be caused by oil that is no longer lubricating the engine parts as effectively as it should. Oil is designed to reduce the friction caused by the moving parts of the engine. When it doesn’t, it can generate a lot of heat, not to mention a lot of wear and tear, leading to overheating and, eventually, an engine fire. Change your oil and make use of high-quality engine oils that will last you longer.
A blown head gasket
The head gasket of the car is one of the vital components of the engine. What is a head gasket? Well, it effectively manages the pressure of the combustion chamber, and when it blows, it can pull you to a screeching stop. If you experience a loss of power while driving or your oil cap is lined with a milky sludge, there’s a good chance that your gasket is blown. Replacing it before it causes any more harm is the best idea.
A faulty water pump
Another important part of the cooling system of the engine is the water pump. The water pump is responsible for pumping the coolant around the engine and, at times, it can become clogged or otherwise defective. As such, even if you do have enough coolant and there’s no leak, it might not be circulating around the engine enough to do its job. In this case, your best bet is simply to replace your water pump, which might be a specific model for the make of your car.
An overheated car can lead to engine fires or even just engine failure but, either way, if you fail to take care of it as early as possible, it can become costly, quickly.
