Avoid engine overheating in summer

How to prevent the engine from overheating

High temperatures can be a big problem for your car. In the hot months, they spend many hours exposed to the sun directly, which can cause the engine to overheat and cause serious vehicle failure. These breakdowns can range from the failure of the thermostat to the failure of the electric fan, elements responsible for ensuring that the temperature is adequate and providing the optimal flow of coolant. If any of them break down due to exposure to very high temperatures, the engine will overheat and may break down completely.

To avoid engine overheating in summer, follow a series of tips and recommendations that will help you improve its operation when it is exposed to very high temperatures.

• Check the temperature of the coolant : from time to time it is important that you check the levels of the liquid and its temperature within the car’s cooling system, this way you will avoid serious damage to the engine.

• Check the oil level : having a well-lubricated engine is essential for it to function correctly and for its parts to not produce more heat than is appropriate for the engine.

• Try to park your vehicle in shady places, if this is not possible, the best option is to use parasols. These help reduce the car’s interior temperature by up to 15 degrees.

• Maintaining the appropriate temperature inside the car is vital: driving with temperatures between 35 and 40 degrees is equivalent to doing so after consuming about 5 beers. This makes the driver perceive traffic signs worse, and therefore, the risk of accidents increases considerably.

• Check your car : before high temperatures arrive, it is advisable to visit the workshop so that they can carry out a thorough inspection of the vehicle and thus avoid overheating.

• Always use coolant , never other liquids such as water to lower the temperature, as these can damage the cooling system and consequently the engine.

What do I do if the engine has overheated?

If you do not have a garage or cannot park your car in the shade, it will be exposed to the sun for many hours. In some cases this is unavoidable, but you should know that doing so increases the risk of overheating. High temperatures make the car’s cooling system and engine work harder, increasing their temperature.

On the other hand, the engine can also overheat due to a very long journey and high temperature. Sometimes, it can cause serious damage, and the car cannot continue driving.

For these reasons, you must be prepared to face the car engine overheating in summer and know how to act.

• Turn down the air conditioning and turn up the heating: Although this may seem contradictory and worsen the comfort of the vehicle’s occupants, it will help evacuate the heat produced in the engine, making the engine work much less.

• When the engine temperature increases and the coolant system is low, the best option is to stop the vehicle as soon as possible in a safe place. Turn off the engine completely and let it cool.

• If the antifreeze levels are low, you should refill it: if you have coolant or have been able to stop at a service station, it is advisable to refill the tank to replenish it.

In addition to everything seen above, extreme heat can cause serious damage to your vehicle and affect elements such as tires that can wear out more and suffer punctures, or the battery.