2021 summer is fast approaching! And while so many of us love the heat and being outdoors, our cars tend to disagree. During the warmer months, it is so important to make sure that your car is kept cool. Even though the cars of today have advanced cooling systems technology that is equipped and designed to keep your engine running smoothly in any weather, overheating can still happen. How exactly does one’s engine overheat? There are in fact many reasons as to why an engine can overheat, but usually, this happens because something is wrong within the cooling system and heat is unable to escape the engine compartment. To help you prevent this from happening to your car, keep reading these great tips.
Frequently Check The Temperature Gauge
During the summer months, many people live for family road trips, right? When it comes to long-haul drives, you must remember to take care of your car. One of the most important things is to keep an eye out for the temperature gauge of your vehicle. This is simply one of the easiest ways to prevent your car from overheating. The temperature gauge is located on the dashboard, it shows a needle that should always be pointing to the center. If not – pull over because you have a problem!
Park Your Car In The Shade
We all know that aggravating feeling of getting into a boiling hot car. Trust us, your car doesn’t enjoy the sweltering hot temperatures either. Parking your car in the shade not only prolongs the life of your vehicle but also helps keeps it cool. If you are unable to find a good, shady spot the next best alternative is to use a sunshade. This is a great way to reduce the heat inside of your car and the interior getting extremely hot.
Have Your Radiator Ocassioanlly Flushed
Regardless if you keep your car’s coolant to the optimum level, you still need to get it replaced on the odd occasion. periodically. A radiator flush is also known as a coolant flush involves draining out the old fluid from the radiator, cleaning it with flush fluid, and finally adding a new coolant into the system. Mechanics suggest that a flush be done every 40,000 miles, but you can also check your owner’s manual for the manufacturer’s recommendation.
Pull Over
In case your car has begun to overheat, the best and safest option is to stop immediately. Obviously, first, make sure that it is a safe place to stop the car. Next, carefully open the hood and let the heat escape. Once the steam has died down a bit (this should take around about 15-20 minutes) pour some water over the radiator to bring the temperature down. Be sure to pour the water gently and not too much at a time as this can make things worse such as cracking of the engine block. Which will cost you more to repair – so just try to have a lot of patience!