Can You Drive with High Engine Coolant Temperature?

[EmmaFitz]

You should not drive when the engine coolant temperature is high. Methods to check for high engine coolant temperature: 1. If the upper radiator hose is hot but the lower one is not when the engine is overheated, the thermostat may be faulty; 2. If there is high water pipe pressure when starting a cold engine, it may indicate a blown head gasket or cracks in the cylinder wall; 3. If there is a milky white substance on the oil cap or floating oil in the coolant, it may indicate a blown head gasket or oil cooler leakage; 4. If some areas of the radiator are not hot or there is a significant temperature difference, the radiator may be clogged; 5. If the cooling fan does not turn on, you can unplug the coolant temperature sensor connector to check if the fan operates to determine its condition; 6. If the cooling fan runs continuously, directly read the data stream to check if the coolant temperature sensor is giving false readings.

[DiJayden]

Last time I was driving my old Tiguan when the temperature gauge suddenly shot up to the red line. I immediately pulled over, turned off the engine, and called for a tow truck. The mechanic later told me the radiator fan connector had melted. They explained that once white smoke appears from the engine, it's basically done for - the pistons and cylinder walls fuse into lumps of metal from the extreme heat, and repairs could cost tens of thousands. In such situations, never push your luck. Even stopping on the emergency lane with hazard lights on is better than risking engine seizure by continuing to drive. Now that summer's here, I pop the hood every two weeks to check the coolant level. After all, replacing a thermostat only costs a few hundred, which is way more economical than an engine overhaul, right?

[LeoAnn]

My eight-year-old Corolla suddenly had the coolant temperature warning light come on while driving on the highway last summer, which scared the living daylights out of me. I immediately switched to the slow lane and coasted to the service area. After waiting for two hours, I dared to open the radiator cap and found that the main radiator was clogged with poplar fluff like a sieve. Never take high engine temperature lightly - I once saw a Civic towed into a repair shop where the owner had forced it to drive three kilometers, and now the engine had to be completely disassembled to replace the piston rings. I recommend keeping a bottle of purified water in the trunk. When overheating occurs, pull over and wait for the engine to cool completely before adding water as an emergency measure. Don't be like some people who directly open a scalding hot radiator cap - the steam that sprays out can literally peel the skin off your hands.

[DelChristian]

After a decade of repairing cars, I've seen too many disastrous cases of stubbornly driving overheating vehicles. The most extreme one had the engine bay filled with milky white sludge – the masterpiece of emulsified coolant and engine oil under extreme heat. When the temperature warning light comes on, the cooling system usually failed long before – could be broken water pump impeller due to rust or a stuck thermostat. Last month, a Passat owner insisted on driving to our shop, only to end up with seized crankshaft bending the connecting rod. Don't believe that 'turning on heater helps cooling' myth – useless if the fan isn't working. For real emergencies, crawl to safety at low speed with AC completely off and heater at maximum, which might barely buy you a few more kilometers.