Even if it has never happened to you, you must have witnessed smoke coming out of the engine of a car due to overheating, at least in movies and TV shows. It is not normal for the car to overheat, but it happens to many drivers, especially in hot summers. There are many effective measures you can take to prevent overheating due to many different reasons.
There is no single answer to the question of why cars overheat, and there is no single measure you can take against this situation. Because even if the working principle of cars is simple, their working system is not simple at all, and therefore even a small problem in the smallest part can eventually cause a dangerous overheating. Let’s see in all details why cars overheat, what we should do in case of heat and what precautions you will take.
Why do cars overheat, what should we do, what are the precautions to be taken?
First of all, what is the temperature?
In its most basic definition, overheating is when something gets hotter than normal and becomes inoperable. The heat experienced in the car refers to the heating event experienced as a result of the engine and the parts connected to it not working correctly. This temperature can be seen as a small value change on the instrument panel or as a dense smoke.
Why do cars overheat?
The operation system of automobiles is simple; Certain parts work, activating the engine, and the vehicle moves with the resulting energy. In this process, a certain heat is produced. When the engine parts in question or the engine itself are not sufficiently cooled by the cooling systems, the heat increases and overheating occurs. There are some main reasons why the car overheats;
- Temperature sensor not working properly
- Not enough cooling water
- Cooling fan not working properly
- Fan belt breaking
- Circulation pump not working properly
- Fluid leakage
- Air mixing in the coolant
- Radiator clogging due to corrosion
- Incorrect gear shifting of the driver
- While driving Engine overstrain
- Long time driving at high speed
These are the main reasons why the car overheats in general. Under normal conditions, important parts such as coolant, cooling pump, radiator, thermostat, temperature switch keep the car temperature under control. However, due to the problems experienced in these parts, the engine parts or the engine itself cannot be cooled and the heat increases and causes overheating.
What should we do when the car overheats?
While you were driving normally on the road, you suddenly saw the warning light come on on the instrument panel, or worse, smoke comes out of the hood. First of all, stay calm. Slowly reduce your speed and turn the ignition off as soon as possible by pulling the vehicle over. Never leave the vehicle running because the heat will continue to rise as long as it continues to run.
After switching off the ignition, open all windows and allow the vehicle to breathe. Get out of the vehicle and open the hood to allow the engine to breathe directly. If there is intense heat, turn on the heater. While the heater is running, it will accelerate the cooling process as it will take the heat from the engine and dissipate it.
Depending on the temperature of the vehicle, wait between 10 and 30 minutes with the windows, hood and heater open. After this time, get in the car and turn on the ignition. Check the temperature level on the instrument panel. If everything looks normal, start the engine. If the engine makes strange noises or does not start at all, you should call roadside assistance. Most of the time it gets overheated due to lack of coolant, so have one in your trunk.
Precautions you can take to prevent the car from overheating:
- Park your car in the shade.
- Use a canopy.
- Apply window film.
- Leave the car windows slightly open.
- Open the floor vents.
- Adjust the air conditioner setting to fresh air.
- Keep an eye on the temperature gauge.
- Turn on the heater occasionally.
- Check the engine coolant frequently.
- Do not neglect radiator cleaning and other maintenance.
- You may need to replace the car battery.
Park your car in the shade:
It will be difficult in areas where even normal parking is not easy to find, but especially on hot summer days, instead of leaving your car under the sun, shade tries to find a place. Covered parking lots are much better options. Even if you can’t find full shade, it’s extremely important to find an area that won’t get direct sun, at least.
Use a shade:
Glass shades for car windows or car covers that directly cover the entire car are extremely useful. Thanks to their reflective properties, they will prevent the sun’s rays from directly affecting and heating your car, so they will at least prevent the heat caused by hot air.
Apply window film:
You may be a little scared by the recent window film mess, but don’t worry, window films have certain proportions. You can’t completely darken it, but at least applying a film that will block some sunlight will prevent it from getting hot.
Leave car windows slightly open:
Some days the weather can be hot enough to warm the engine even when it’s not hot enough to open the windows or run the air conditioner. So make sure the windows are always slightly open. You can also leave the window open a little when you park your car in front of your eyes.
Open the floor vents:
The vehicle vents are arranged to provide airflow from different points. Top vent creates a much cooler environment, but remember that warm air rises. Therefore, first open the floor ventilation so that the hot air rises and goes out. Then you can adjust it to your liking.
Adjust the air conditioner setting to fresh air:
Air conditioners have different settings. The most common recirculation setting is used, but no fresh air is taken from outside in this setting. If you set your air conditioner setting to get fresh air from outside at least every 10 minutes, you will prevent overheating.
Keep an eye on the temp gauge:
Many drivers no longer notice their car’s temperature until the temperature reaches the dangerous point or smoke comes out of the engine. Don’t be one of them. Check the temperature gauge occasionally, especially in hot summer months, on long trips and at high speeds.
Turn on the heater occasionally:
It doesn’t make much sense to run the car heater on hot summer days, but at least if you run the heater for a few minutes when you take a break or every hour, the heat in the engine will dissipate and reduce the risk of overheating.
Check the engine coolant frequently:
Even when you take your vehicle to the authorized service, the first place to look will be water and oil. So these are extremely important. For this reason, it is useful to check the engine coolant from time to time. In fact, it’s best to have one in your trunk, just in case.
Don’t neglect radiator cleaning and other maintenance:
Don’t neglect to have it cleaned regularly, as radiator malfunction is one of the most common causes of overheating. Along with the radiator, it is useful not to neglect the hose, antifreeze water, temperature switch, indicator and fan controls.
You may need to replace the car battery:
If you have been using your car battery for more than 3 years, it may not produce enough power and therefore the engine may overheat by working harder. During routine checks, also have your vehicle’s battery checked and replace if necessary.
We answered the questions of why cars overheat, what should we do in case of heat and what precautions you will take, and we talked about the details you need to know about the subject. In case of possible problems, consult your vehicle’s authorized service.
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