What to Do When the Engine Overheats in Summer?
2 Answers
Let the engine idle and run for a while, and the temperature will drop. To prevent engine overheating alarms during summer trips, which can disrupt smooth travel, car owners should regularly check the cooling system. Before a trip, inspect the radiator. If the engine overheats during the journey, do not turn it off immediately. Instead, turn off some energy-consuming and overloaded devices, such as the air conditioning, and let the engine idle for about three minutes before shutting it down. Then, get out of the car, open the hood to dissipate heat, and conduct a thorough inspection and handling. The specific reasons causing abnormal water temperature are as follows: 1. Insufficient coolant: Before driving in summer, check the coolant. If you run out of coolant on a highway or in a remote area where it's hard to buy more, you can temporarily use water as a substitute. However, when adding water, be very careful not to open the radiator cap immediately after stopping the car. The temperature inside is very high, and the pressure is significant. Opening the cap immediately can cause hot steam to burst out, potentially scalding your face. The correct approach is to wait until the radiator temperature slightly decreases before slowly opening the cap to add water. 2. Dirty radiator: The radiator has many cooling fins with small holes. Dust, mud, lint, and other impurities can easily adhere to them, clogging the holes and reducing the radiator's cooling efficiency. This situation doesn't have much impact in winter since the ambient temperature is low, and direct cooling is sufficient. However, in summer, when the temperature difference between the radiator and the external environment decreases, cooling slows down, making it easy for the water temperature to become too high.
Last month I encountered this situation on the highway. Seeing the temperature gauge spike into the red, I immediately turned on the hazard lights, pulled over, and shut off the engine. Never open the hood right away—the steam inside can cause severe burns. Wait about 20 minutes for it to cool down, then slowly unscrew the radiator cap to check the coolant level. In my case, it was a leaking radiator, and I had to temporarily top it up with bottled water to make it to the repair shop. I recommend cleaning the radiator grille of insect debris before long summer trips—blocked airflow is a major cause of overheating. Keeping a jug of purified water in the trunk is practical, as it’s less likely to leave deposits than tap water in emergencies. Older cars especially need regular checks on the water pump and thermostat—their failure can cripple the entire cooling system. If the radiator boils over three or more times, don’t hesitate to call a tow truck; saving a few hundred bucks could cost you the entire engine.
