Vehicle Overheating

What Could Cause my Vehicle to Overheat?

If your vehicle overheats, the engine is calling for attention just as well as the cooling system needs thorough check. Your vehicle will overheat if the cooling system is no longer effectively absorbing, transporting and dissipating the heat created from the engine burning fuel.

Below are common reasons your vehicle’s cooling system could fail and lead to overheating:

1. Leaks in the Cooling System: Leaks are the number one reason your vehicle will overheat. Leaks in hoses, the radiator, water pump, thermostat housing, etc can all lead to problems with the vehicle’s cooling system. If you suspect a leak, or have had to add coolant to the reservoir don’t wait to get it checked. A small leak can quickly turn into an expensive repair and a serious headache.

2. Bad Thermostat: Your vehicle’s thermostat is a key valve in the cooling system that ensures the coolant is able to pass through to the radiator when necessary. When the thermostat gets blocked in its closed position, coolant won’t be able to pass through and it will lead to overheating in the engine.

3. Bad Radiator: Leaks and clogging can lead to your vehicle’s radiator failing and any disruption in the radiator’s function can lead to overheating since it can’t pull the heat away from the rest of the cooling system.

4. Worn-out/Burst Hoses: Hoses with cracks/holes will leave you with a leaky engine. They’ll disrupt the flow of coolant. The water pump can’t circulate coolant that’s not there due to leak from one of the hoses.

5. Bad Radiator Fan: Your vehicle’s radiator fan pulls air across the radiator to help reduce the coolant’s temperature. But a worn-out fan clutch or broken fan motor can’t help to reduce the temperature and will lead to overheating.

6. Loose/Broken Belts: If a belt is loose/broken, specifically the water pump belt, it cannot help maintain the correct volume of coolant flow and can lead to overheating.

7. Bad Water Pump: Your vehicle’s water pump is the heart of your cooling system. If it’s not functioning correctly your vehicle won’t have enough pressure to propel engine coolant throughout the cooling system. Any problems with the pump from erosion, leaks or anything else can cause your vehicle to overheat.

Overheating of vehicle calls for immediate attention. In most cases the original cause, from experience, could just be a simple, low-cost repair. Unfortunately, most people ignore the initial problem and end up paying much more for extensive damage as a result.

Is your vehicle showing signs of overheating? Do you experience regular lost of water in your vehicle’s radiator needing daily top-up? This is definitely a sign for concern, and if not given required attention could lead to overheating of your vehicle. Kindly give us a call today. We’ll be glad to test and assess the vehicle, provide the proper service and repairs and get you back on the road as quickly as possible.