If you’ve ever had to sit on the side of the road and let your car’s engine cool down, you might have wondered what caused it and if there were anything you could have done to avoid that situation. Sullivan’s Auto Service & Tire Pros wants you to know what can lead to overheating in your car’s engine so you can be prepared.
Too Little Coolant
Your car’s engine needs a certain amount of coolant in order to keep the engine as cool as it should be. If there’s too little coolant in the system, that means that there isn’t enough time to remove that heat again so that the coolant can recirculate, drawing more heat from the engine. The reservoir for your coolant is an easy one to check. It’s usually easy to spot under the hood, and you can see through it to tell whether the level is getting too low or not.
Broken Thermostat
The simplest and probably most important part of your car’s cooling system is the thermostat. This little device is either open or closed, and it helps the cooling system to know whether the engine is getting too hot or not so that it can circulate coolant properly. If the thermostat stops working, the car’s engine is going to overheat because the cooling system can’t do its job.
Cooling System Issues
Any failure from items in the cooling system, from hoses to the radiator or water pump, can all cause issues with keeping the engine as cool as it needs to be. The cooling system is a lot more involved than it might appear to be at first, and it can be difficult for you to check everything yourself. Proper servicing of the cooling system helps you to avoid this issue because auto technicians can spot problems before they get too bad.
Overdue Repairs or Services
There are reasons that your car’s manufacturer recommends specific services at specific times. Those services help to ensure that your car gets what it needs in terms of maintenance right when it needs that attention. It also helps auto technicians to stay on top of what’s happening in various systems in the car, like the cooling system. Some services, like oil changes, even help the cooling system to do its job. When you skip those services or avoid them for too long, you’re making it tougher for the car to have what it needs to function properly.
Does your car’s cooling system need some help? Contact us today at Sullivan’s Auto Service & Tire Pros in Seaside, CA so we can take a closer look at what’s going on for you.