9 reasons why your engine overheats
Many problems can be deported, but the overheated car engine is not one of them. Driving with an overheating engine is a great way to get stuck on the roadside and spend a lot of money on a tow truck. This is why it is so important to reach the roots of an overheated car engine before you go to open streets.
This comprehensive guide will guide you through the nine most common causes of overheated engines before they fail. Ultimately, you know exactly what’s going on with your car and how to fix it! First, let’s look at the reasons for overheating engines. Causes of overheated car engines
The most common cause of overheated car engines is low coolant levels or broken thermostats. If overheating occurs only when idle, it can be caused by a bad cooler reserve. It can also be caused by a broken water pump or a blown head seal.
Below is a more detailed list of possible causes. Before leading the vehicle troubleshooting, you’ll be immersed in the nine most common dives.
1. Low or no coolant
The main purpose of coolant is to cool the engine. No wonder your engine is overheating when your vehicle is low or from the coolant! Remember that your vehicle has a sealed cooling system. So, if you’re constantly adding coolant, you have to find out where to go.
2. The thermostat is broken
The vehicle’s thermostat opens and closes as needed, keeping the engine at the right temperature. If it is open or closed, the engine will overheat. This is a serious problem. Thermostats are usually found in plastic homes somewhere in the engine block or head. Check the repair manual to find the location.
3. Pump the broken water
The vehicle’s water pump pushes the coolant through the engine. Without them, your coolant is stagnant and you won’t be able to do his job. Remember that the water pump on a vehicle is one of the rarer problems depending on the car model.
4. Broken fan
If the vehicle overheats while idle, you need to check for correct functionality of the fan. The fan pushes air over the cooler to keep it cool. This is especially important when the vehicle is idle.
5. Clogged or damaged cooler
The vehicle’s coolant flows through the radiator fins to cool it. If these fins are blocked or blocked, they will not be able to obtain sufficient coolant flow through the engine and cool them effectively.
Another issue is when the debris blocks the front of the cooler. This is not very common, but you should make sure the air flows a little cooler while driving.
6. Coolant
Previously it was highlighted with low coolant, but even after switching oil, internal coolant and leaks can overheat. This means that if the coolant mixes with something else like oil, there’s nothing to cool down. Soon, any kind of coolant and leakage can lead to engine overheating.
7. Coolant and airbag
After the coolant is rinsed, all airbags should be obtained from the cooling system. When the entire system is placed, there is no coolant flow.
The exact instructions for bleeding in the coolant system vary from vehicle to vehicle. Check the maintenance manual for your specific vehicle to see what steps you need. Coolant air pockets can also be caused by the bleed seals on the head seal. This could also lead to overheating engines.
8. Print coolant pressure
There are several reasons why your coolant might not be in pressure. There may be a broken cooling cap or a leak or a broken water pump. In both cases, low coolant pressure leads to an overheating engine.
9. Low oil
This is a very rare problem, but it can definitely happen! Oils have several properties, but one of the important things is cooling. Without sufficient oil, the engine components will produce much more friction, which will get hot. If it gets too hot, the engine can overheat. If the engine overheats, take a few more seconds to check the oil level.
How to repair an overheated car engine
There may be many issues that can lead to engine overheating, but kissing the problem won’t overwhelm you. That’s what every mechanic teacher teaches: just follow it, stupid.
This is the Occams Razor version. Before jumping down a rabbit hole and starting to tear things apart, start with the simplest and most likely problem. When removing an overheating engine, the easiest way is to use the fluid level.
1. Check the liquid mirror
I checked the oil and coolant and found some important tips if the liquid is low. You can always determine if the problem goes beyond the liquid, but don’t forget that both systems are sealed. So, if the liquid disappears, there are some issues that need to be checked.
2. Pressurize the system
When the engine has completely cooled off, get a radiator cap tester and put it on top of your radiator. This nifty device will allow you to pressurize your entire system, which will check a few different problems for you. If you don’t own one, don’t worry, most part stores like AutoZone will let you rent one for free.
First, it will make it abundantly obvious if you have a leak – whether internal or external. Your system should hold pressure. If it doesn’t, you have a leak somewhere.
The next step is to check the thermostat. You can check this by checking the lower radiator hose’s temperature (or upper if that’s the output of the thermostat). If it is still cold when the car starts to overheat, you probably have an issue with the thermostat.
Remember that if you have a broken electric thermostat, you will usually have a check engine light – but that’s not always the case. If your thermostat checks out, take a look at your fan. Pop the hood and run your engine. At some point, the fan should kick on. If it doesn’t, you either have an electrical problem with the fan or a busted fan.
Finally, you need to make sure that you have coolant flow in your engine which requires some skills, and you should probably consult a mechanic to make a deeper diagnosis of your coolant system.
