Your Engine's Cooling System and the Summer Heat

I just looked at the 10 day forecast and it's going to be in the low to mid 90’s for the next 10 days. During the heat wave it is a good time to keep a watchful eye on how your vehicle is running and especially looking out to make sure the engine does not run hot.

If you notice your engine running hot, stop your car. Trying to get that extra mile when your vehicle is overheating is not worth blowing up your engine which is an extremely costly repair. If your engine does overheat do not try and open the radiator cap. It is important to let your engine cool first.

If your engine is overheating and you need to go a very short distance you can try turning on the heat full blast and that will pull some of the heat off the engine. (I have done this before and it does work however when it's the middle of summer even driving a short distance is very uncomfortable) Overall though it is just best to stop and call for help.

Your car's cooling system consists of:

1 - Heater core
2 - Water pump
3 - Cooling fan
4 - Radiator
5 - Hoses
6 - Coolant reservoir
7 - Thermostat

As your vehicle ages many of these items will need work over the years. The point of this blog is just to refresh the idea of keeping an eye on your vehicle’s performance and being mindful how important it is to keep up with your car’s regular maintenance.

Every time you bring your car in for regular maintenance we perform a safety check and often catches that “engine problem” before you end up broken down on the side of the road with an expensive repair bill