Car problems always seem to pop up at the worst possible time. Overheating engines can cause you to break down and can also cause significant engine damage.
Here are some dos and don’ts when your car overheats:
Drive to the first safe place you can pull over and shut your car off.
While an overheating engine is a definite concern your safety should always be your biggest concern. If your vehicle is overheating it is important to shut it off as soon as possible, but this does not mean immediately no matter what. We recommend finding the first available safe place to pull over or park and shut your engine off. The safest thing to do for an overheating car is to shut it off.
DO NOT open any part of your cooling system for at least 2 hours.
Cooling systems can be dangerous and hot cooling systems can cause burn risk. If your vehicle is over heating and you can see visible steam/ white smoke from under the hood do not open the hood! After the vehicle cools off it is then safe to open the cooling system cap or radiator cap to check levels.
Get your vehicle towed to a qualified repair facility.
Continuing to use a car that has overheated is a dangerous game. If your vehicle overheated it will most probably do it again until the problem is fixed. The more your vehicle is overheated the more likely you are to have an internal engine failure. Most car insurance policies include roadside assistance so your tow will be free! The effort of having your car towed could be what saves you from creating a bigger problem.
Overheating engines require immediate help!
Let the mechanics at Tim’s help get your vehicle’s cooling system working again!
