An overheating car can be a dangerous and expensive problem. Not only does car overheating increase the risk of steam burns and engine warping, but fixing engine parts that have been warped can be costly. For the sake of your wallet and your safety, it’s best to schedule service at a Honda dealer as soon as possible.
Car Overheating? Visit Your Honda Dealer Today
The first sign that your car is overheating may be the temperature light on your dashboard. When the warning light turns on, you should immediately pull over to give your car time to cool down. You may also notice the temperature gauge on your instrument cluster is rising, which can also indicate an overheating engine. However, these gauges don’t always work if there is a coolant leak, which is why you will need to know other signs of overheating.
Burning or Hot Odor
If you smell burning plastic, rubber, or motor oil when you are driving, the root cause is likely an overheating engine. Many drivers can only describe these scents as “hot”. Usually, this burning or hot scent comes through the AC in your car.
Thumping Engine
If your engine sounds like it is thumping, this might be because cold coolant is trying to mix with hot coolant in your engine. If the coolant in your engine is boiling hot, this usually means that the flow of coolant is disrupted. You may also notice a ticking sound from your engine, which is caused by hot oil that does not properly lubricate the engine.
Leaks and Steam
If you see coolant on the ground, you likely have a coolant leak that is causing your engine to overheat. Coolant can leak because the cooling system is damaged or because coolant that has boiled in the cooling system has caused an overflow in the coolant tank. Steam from under your hood is typically caused by boiling coolant.
What Should You Do If Your Car Overheats?
When your car is overheating, pulling over is the best thing to do. After you pull over, you should not open the hood for at least 15 minutes, since the steam from your engine could hurt you. To cool down your engine more quickly, you might want to turn on the heater to pull some heat from your engine into the cabin of your vehicle. Once your car has cooled down, you can try adding more coolant to your engine, so you can safely get to your dealership for repairs.
A car that is overheating can be a major problem. An overheating engine can cause extensive damage when left untreated, so fixing the underlying cause of the overheating is essential. Book your service appointment at Fischer Honda today.
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