Vehicle overheating is one of the most common reasons that we, the Chicago roadside assistance service experts here at Towing Chicago regularly provide to drivers throughout the Chicagoland area. In this blog entry, our Chicago vehicle recovery service experts will detail the top signs your vehicle is overheating – and what to do if you find your car overheating.
Signs that Your Vehicle is Overheating
- Coolant light is illuminated or flashing
- Temperature gauge rises above the central gauge mark
- The engine is running loudly
- Steam is emanating from the hood
- Engines are stalling during acceleration, deceleration, or hills
Tips for Overheating Vehicles
Sometimes it’s not clear if a vehicle is overheating or simply emitting steam. If you’re not certain, it’s a good idea to stay as far away from your car as possible once you park it in a safe area. Try to get it to a safe area away from other drivers – but in the meantime, decelerate, turn on the vehicle’s heat, and try to remain calm.
Air Conditioning
Don’t use air conditioning in slow moving traffic in hot weather – instead, try opening the windows and turn on the heat. Using air conditioners in hot weather often causes cars to overheat, strangely enough. Try to avoid using other electrical components as well – this will cause electricity to move through your car’s system, increasing its temperature.
Driving
When your car is overheating, stop as soon as possible, park in a safe area that’s not blocking traffic, and turn off the engine. If you cannot park, try pulling over safely so drivers have room to move around your vehicle. If you need to keep driving to safety, decelerate to stop your car’s overheating.
Don’t Open Up Car Hood
If your car is overheating, don’t open up the car hood unless you need to. Opening the hood will allow heat to move out from the hood and into your engine, which can cause further damage. If you need to open the hood, cover it up with a towel or blanket.
Don’t Open the Radiator Cap
It can be very dangerous to open up hot radiator caps. This can result in an explosion as pressurized coolant escapes the vehicle and sprays all over components before your vehicle cools down. Allow your car to fully cool down before opening up ANYTHING under its hood.