What to Do When a Car Overheats

If your car is overheating, you should stop as soon as it’s safe to do so. From there, you can avoid further damage by getting towed to the nearest authorized service center. Still not sure of what to do when a car overheats on the roads near Annapolis or Severna Park? You need to call for help. Driving an overheating vehicle is a surefire way to shorten its lifespan or do catastrophic damage in a very short period of time.

While you might be tempted to check on your coolant levels, you need to wait at least thirty minutes before you touch the hood—or you could end up with a serious burn.

If you absolutely have to drive an overheating vehicle, turn the heat on full blast to pull warm air off of the engine—and get to a safe stopping point as soon as possible.

Warning Signs of an Overheating Engine

Modern vehicles are equipped with warning lights and temperature gauges that should alert you immediately if your car begins to overheat. If the needle on your temperature gauge is sitting right in the middle of the meter, you’re probably right where you should be: between 195 and 200 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature gauge starts to rise, proceed with caution and pull over as soon as you can.

It’s unlikely that your vehicle’s warning systems will fail, but you should also look out for the smell of burning oil, as well as any sign of smoke or steam coming from beneath your hood. Ticking or banging sounds might also indicate that your vehicle’s current temperature is too high, so pay close attention to what you hear, too!

What Causes a Car to Overheat?

What does it mean when your car overheats? It depends on the source of your problem. If your car is overheating, the cause of the issue could be any one of the following:

• Your coolant level has dropped too low
• The coolant in your vehicle has been mixed incorrectly
• Your radiator isn’t working properly
• Your water pump is malfunctioning
• There’s a blockage in your cooling system
• There’s a leak from one of your coolant hoses
• Your vehicle has a broken head gasket

If you’ve noticed coolant leaking beneath your vehicle, you can use the location of the leak to narrow down the range of possible causes. If you’re dealing with a broken head gasket, you might have seen white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. If there’s an issue with your radiator, you might notice that your coolant has started to take on a rusty or tarnished color.

Even if you think you know what’s caused your car to overheat, this is one situation where you really don’t want to be wrong. Scheduling diagnostic service with a team that you can trust is the best way to proceed—and we can help you secure service financing to help cover any repairs you may require.

Get Back on the Road with Land Rover Annapolis!

If you’re anywhere near Edgewater or Crofton when your car starts to overheat, know that our Annapolis dealership is ready to help. Start exploring our current service and parts coupons, give us a call at (410) 774-6664, or make your way in today.