When this happens to you, it can be a terrible thing and it feels like a nightmare. You may think that the worst possible occurrence is going to happen like your engine catching fire or wholly shutting down. Before this happens to you, it is a smart idea to move the vehicle off the road and have it cool down before you continue with driving the vehicle.

When your vehicle overheats, think of the following:

• When you pull off of the road, investigate to see if your engine is steaming: Investigate close to the radiator of your vehicle to check if any steam is coming from your engine. Thankfully, it will be simple to know where steam is coming from so you don’t have to prod around. You also may hear sounds of sizzle coming from your vehicle.
• Kill the A/C and blast the heater: When its summer, starting your heater may seem like a horrible idea, but it works. The hot air that is put through the heater vents is air that is coming from the engine block, so turning the heater on can aid with cooling down the engine by sucking the hot air out faster. If your gauges are wrong, blasting your heater can help your situation.
• Kill the engine: If you see the steam coming from the engine, turn off the the vehicle as soon as possible. We propose stopping the engine over letting your vehicle idle because it can save energy and begin to cool the engine. Idling makes your car run at a higher temperature when you want to cool down the engine.
• Pop the hood: Propping the hood will help the engine stop overheating. We need to get down time after getting worked up. Your car needs to relax and be provided with the fresh air required to calm down.
• Check coolant levels: Before looking at the levels, have the engine calm down. You will find the reservoir that has your engine’s coolant in the proximity of the radiator. If you have any issues locating the reservoir, look at the owner’s manual sitting in the glove box. It should be known that you should not open the valve on the radiator unless the engine is completely cooled. The contents within can spray all over you and burn your skin. If you see below-average levels of coolant, simply add more in the tank. If you don’t have coolant on hand, you may use water.

If you are able to drive your vehicle without it overheating but still have a warning light, you may just have a bad temperature gauge and need to get it checked by your Christian Brothers mechanic in Shawnee, KS. If you need help with the cooling system, we can fix that too. We’ll service your engine and keep it running smoothly. Stop by today and we’ll be glad to help you!