How to Cool an Overheating Engine
Engine Overheating
How to cool an overheating engine? With the hot weather this summer has brought us, your vehicle is at risk of overheating. Most of us have our A/C on full blast which could trigger our engine to overheat. Even if you maintain your vehicle well, this can still occur. So it is important to know what to do in order to remain safe if your vehicle overheats. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="272"]
Overheating engine? Steps to follow:
- Turn OFF your A/CIf you see your temperature gauge on your vehicle increasing, turn the A/C off and open your windows. Your vehicle's air conditioner's compressor runs off the engine. The extra work load caused by the A/C being on could be what’s causing it to run hotter. If you notice that the air conditioner continually raises the engine’s temperature, you should have your vehicle looked at as there may be more mechanical issues that need to be repaired.
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If you see this rising and getting closer to the red, be sure to follow the steps below to ensure you and your vehicle remain safe.[/caption]
- Turn ON the Heater & BlowersWill this may not be comfortable, it will help your vehicle’s engine and decrease its temperature. After you have turned your vehicle's A/C off, turn on the heat along with its blowers. The heater draws heat from the engine in order to operate. This in turn will help transfer heat away from the engine.
- Stuck in traffic? Often the engine’s temperature may climb when you're stuck in traffic. If you find yourself caught in a traffic jam with a hot engine, it is best to keep your car in neutral and rev the engine a little. This will make the water pump and radiator fan speed up, which will aid in cooling the engine. Also it it best to avoid riding the brakes. Brake drag can actually increases the load on your vehicle's engine. As traffic slowly moves forward keep a larger gap between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you so you do not have to ride the brakes. This will help to keep the brakes and engine from building extra heat.