What are the aftereffects of engine overheating due to water shortage?
3 Answers
Consequences of engine overheating due to water shortage: 1. Decrease in charging coefficient: Leads to a reduction in the engine's charging coefficient. The higher the temperature, the lower the air density, resulting in decreased actual air intake; 2. Reduced charging capacity: Due to engine overheating, the temperature inside the engine compartment rises, diminishing the engine's charging capacity; 3. Decreased engine power: Causes abnormal combustion in the engine, increasing the likelihood of knocking and reducing engine power; 4. Component damage: Leads to thermal degradation of engine components' materials and affects the clearances between various engine parts, resulting in component damage.
I've repaired quite a few engines that overheated due to coolant loss. The most common aftermath is deformation and damage to the cylinder head gasket. High temperatures cause metal to warp, making the cylinder head surface uneven. When the gasket burns out, symptoms like coolant mixing with engine oil or white smoke from the exhaust appear. More severely, piston rings can seize against the cylinder walls, leading to cylinder scoring or oil burning. Last time, I worked on an SUV whose crankshaft bearings melted and seized due to overheating from coolant loss, resulting in complete engine failure. These repairs are particularly troublesome, often requiring full engine disassembly and replacement of all sealing components, with labor costs running 5,000-6,000 RMB. The critical issue is that some damage is permanent - even after repair, there's often permanent power loss.
After driving for ten years, what I fear most is engine overheating. My old Accord suffered badly from it two years ago. During a long trip, the radiator was leaking unnoticed until the temperature gauge hit red and the engine stalled completely. When towed to the repair shop and opened up, the cylinder head was found warped by 0.3mm, and the connecting rods were bent. It cost over 4,000 yuan to fix. The most annoying part was the aftermath—not only did the engine lose power, but it also started emitting blue smoke constantly, with oil consumption doubling. The mechanic said the overheating deformed the piston rings and scored the cylinder walls. I should have carried a spare bottle of coolant in the car back then! Now, just seeing the temperature gauge needle rise makes me nervous.
