My Car Keeps Overheating When I Drive It

One reason why your car keeps overheating could be that it is overdue for maintenance. Failing to change the motor oil and the coolant when they need it can increase the engine’s temperature. This is why it is important to stick to the factory-scheduled service schedule in your owner’s manual. If you are faithful about the maintenance, your vehicle could also be overheating due to one or more of the following problems.

A clog in the cooling system will prevent the circulation of the coolant throughout the engine. Consequently, only portions of the engine will be cooled down. As such, your automobile may overheat every time that you drive it until we find the clog and release it. For example, if the cooling system hose is clogged, we will replace it if we cannot clear it.

Another reason why your engine is overheating all the time could be a leaking cooling system. If this is the case, you will probably know about it because there will be coolant on your garage floor. Anytime the coolant level is too low, the engine is going to overheat. There’s no way to avoid this. Adding coolant to the system will do you no good until you have the leak fixed.

Your engine may also be overheating if the water pump is malfunctioning. This is the cooling system part that pumps the coolant throughout the engine. You can expect to get about 100,000 miles out of the water pump. If your vehicle has more mileage than this, you may need to replace the water pump to prevent the engine from overheating when you drive your automobile.

The same is true for the thermostat. This part, too, lasts approximately 100,000 miles. If it starts to malfunction, it may not open the valve to release the coolant into the engine. Consequently, your engine will overheat quickly and stay too hot. This is a sign that there is no coolant circulating through the engine to reduce the temperature below 220 degrees.

Finally, radiator problems can also make your engine overheat when you drive your automobile. Problems include clogged air inlets, a malfunctioning radiator fan, or a radiator that is rusted and corroded. The latter can also cause a coolant leak if the rust it’s through the bottom of the radiator.

Do not worry. We are here to help. Call us today to set up an auto service visit for your vehicle if it is overheating when you drive it.