When your vehicle overheats, you can't just keep driving. When your vehicle is pouring steam out from under the hood, you will need to pull over, allow your vehicle to cool off, and then figure out why your vehicle is overheating.
Reason #1: Low Coolant
One of the most common reasons your vehicle may be overheating is because your vehicle is low on coolant. If your vehicle doesn't have enough coolant, it will not be able to keep your engine cool enough. In this situation, once your vehicle has completely cooled off, you can add more coolant to get back on the road.
Reason #2: Coolant Concentration
Second, the coolant must be balanced right. If you used the wrong type of coolant for your vehicle or used the wrong mix of coolant to distilled water, your vehicle will overheat. You need to have the right coolant mixture and coolant type for your engine to stay cool enough.
Reason #3: Coolant Leak
Third, your vehicle may be overheating because you have a coolant leak. Even a small coolant leak can result in your vehicle overheating, as this will result in a low level of coolant in your vehicle. The sooner the leak is discovered; generally the more affordable it will be for you to fix the leak. The longer you allow the leak to linger, the more expensive the repair may be.
Reason #4: Damaged Hose
A hose transports the coolant to your engine. If that hose gets broken or damaged, then the coolant that it is supposed to carry to your engine will not get to its destination, resulting in your engine overheating. In this case, you will need to get the damaged hose fixed before you can start driving around again.
Reason #5: Failed Water Pump
Your coolant system includes multiple moving parts. One of the more important parts of the coolant system is the water pump. The water pump helps build up the pressure inside the coolant system necessary to push the coolant through the system. When the water pump starts to fail, it doesn't generate enough pressure for the coolant to properly flow to your engine, resulting in your engine overheating.
If your engine is overheating, pull over to the side of the road and allow your engine to cool down. If an auto repair shop is within a few miles, you can try to drive your vehicle to the auto repair shop. Or, to be safe, you can call a tow truck and have them bring your vehicle in for repairs. When your vehicle overheats, it is generally related to an issue with the coolant system.
For more information, contact an auto repair service.
