Is the temperature gauge in your car getting a little too close to that red line for your liking? Do you need to troubleshoot your car for overheating? The folks at Dummies.com have some great tips which range from the simple to the complex to try and solve the problem for those of us who weren’t born car mechanics. Lets start from the beginning, and get some tips about what could be causing your car to overheat.
Car Troubleshooting Tips for Your Car’s Overheating Engine
1. Check your pressure cap: The very first thing to check is coincidentally the easiest. Whenever the pressure cap on your radiator is starting to wear out, it can’t do the one thing that it was named for—keeping pressure. A worn out gasket can allow pressure from a hot radiator to escape, which causes the cooling system to go haywire. This is something that’s easy enough for either you or a trusted car mechanic to check.
2. Look for leaks: Another common cause of an overheating car is a cooling system leaks. Dummies.com recommend several potential remedies, some of which will require a professional car mechanic, especially if you’re a dummy when it comes to cars.
One potential solution for overheating that you can do yourself is simply to add coolant. This might work as a quick fix (or at least a temporary bandage) if you’re stranded on the side of a highway. It’s always a good idea to keep a 50/50 mixture of radiator coolant and water in your trunk for just such emergencies. If you pour in the coolant, and find yourself standing in a puddle of it, you’ve definitely got a problem that requires a professional auto repair shop. Time to call a tow truck. If you continue to drive the car, you are likely to overheating and blowing the engine, which is a repair job that rockets into the $1000+ repair range.
3. Check your fluids: Perhaps it isn’t even your radiator at all, but something completely different that is causing the overheating. For instance, you might need to add oil to your car. Check the oil, and if it’s low, add enough to get it up to the correct fill line on your dipstick. An extra quart of oil is another helpful item to stow in the trunk for just such emergencies.
4. Get your timing checked: If the timing is off in your engine, it may mean that your spark plugs aren’t firing until your pistons are already in their downstroke. This incorrect timing means that the heat isn’t being transferred to energy as efficiently as it should be, and may raise the engine’s temperature as well.
DIY Mechanics Should Know When to Ask for Auto Repair Help
Dummies.com keeps the troubleshooting of your vehicle simple. Which is great if you’re pulled over by the side of the highway in a panic. Or even if you’re sitting in your driveway and you would prefer not to take her to the automobile repair shop unless you really have to. Why make it complicated?
But if you think you’ve really got a problem that’s over your head, or if that temperature just won’t stay down, take it to European Auto Specialists and have us take a look at it. That simplifies everything too. Because after all, wouldn’t you’d rather be doing something fun with your Saturday?