It has been a very hot summer so far. Many people are complaining that their car is overheating in these extreme temperatures. When your engine overheats, it can damage the radiator and the engine. It is not a minor thing. So, what might cause a car to overheat? There are a lot of reasons.
First, check the level of coolant in the radiator and overflow bottle. Add a 50/50 mixture of antifreeze to water if it is low. Next, check underneath your car. If there is fluid there, coolant could be leaking from either the radiator or the hoses. You can check the hoses to see if there are cracks or wet spots. If so, replace them. If the coolant is leaking from the radiator, it will need to be replaced.
Next, check the thermostat. If it is stuck in the closed position it will not let the coolant flow into your engine. A good way to check it is to feel the upper part of the radiator hose when the car is warm. It should be warm also. If the hose is not warm, the thermostat is not open and needs to be replaced.
Next, check the radiator cap. It will need to be replaced if it is cracked or if the seal gasket is cracked or gone. If you do not find any problems with the radiator cap, take a look at the water pump. Check the belt to the water pump to make sure it is tight and there are no cracks. The water pump circulates the coolant through the engine. If your water pump is bad, your car will overheat within a few minutes after it is started.
Now take a look at the cooling fan. There are two types of fans, electric and mechanical. If you have a front wheel drive car, it probably has an electrical fan. This fan will start automatically when your car is warm or when the air conditioning is turned on. The best way to check it is to start your car and turn on the air conditioner. If the fan does not start, it is bad and needs to be replaced.
Cars that have mechanical fans also have a belt driven fan blade and clutch. The clutch makes the fan run faster when the engine is warm. If there is a problem with it, you will not be able to turn the fan blade easily when the car is off and the engine is cold.
A clogged radiator will also cause your car to overheat. The best way to check it is to have a mechanic pressure check it. If you do not want to spend the money to do that, you can check to see if there is a big difference between the temperature of the upper hose on the radiator and the temperature of the lower hose. If there is, your radiator is clogged and needs to be flushed. When checking this, be careful of the fan blades. You can also use an infrared thermometer to check the radiator for cold spots. Again, if your radiator has cold spots it is probably clogged.
