What Does Car Overheating Mean? Fairview Heights, IL Auto Repairs
Have you ever wondered what the temperature gauge on your dashboard meant? Well, today is your lucky day! It helps to let you know when your car is overheating. Which is a very serious matter. Our cars can become overheated sometimes and may cause smoke to come from the engine as well as your dashboard to start flashing crazy lights. It is important to pay close attention to this gauge because an overheated car can cost you tons of money.
What exactly does overheat mean? When we say your car is overheating, we mean that the engine is now put under a lot of stress as part of its cooling system is experiencing a problem. Once you notice the problem, it is best to call for help right away. Ignoring an issue regarding your car overheating can result in a ton of damage.
Now that we know what overheating is, let’s gain some knowledge about the coolant system and how they control this.
Car Overheating – The Coolant System
When driving your car, it is normal for the engine to get hot, as this is how it operates. So how does it cool down? Well, your engine also has a coolant system which is in charge of making sure the engine doesn’t get too hot and overheat. This system is specifically in charge of cooling the engine by looping through it and airing out through the radiator. It is always important that this part of your engine is working properly as if any issue occurs, you may experience overheating.
Now that you’re aware of how overheating is stopped, let’s learn how it may happen.
What Causes Your Car to Overheat
There are quite a few reasons why you may experience an overheating issue with your car. Some may be problems with the coolant system, as mentioned above, some include the radiator, and some could even be a water pump issue.
Coolant systems are great for keeping the engine cooling, but did you know they could also cause it to overheat? A coolant system may experience a leak or become blocked and contaminated. Leaks are most common and it’s easy to find out if you’re experiencing one by placing a towel under your car and looking for leftover liquid.
You may also get dirt and debris stuck in the coolant system which could cause a block and stop the flow going into the engine causing it to overheat. If your radiator is broken, the heat will not vent properly causing another issue with overheating.
Lastly, you may have a faulty water pump. Having one of these can stop a good circulation of your coolant which helps with stopping overheating, thus, causing an overheated engine.
Now that you know what may happen, be on the lookout for these, and don’t hesitate to call your local automotive specialists at Hotz Automotive Services.