You might love the summer heat, but your car may not. When temperatures rise, it’s important that you help keep your car cool for your own safety, and to prevent damage to your car. Learn how to avoid overheating your vehicle and what to do if your car overheats below:

Park your car in the shade: Have you ever been outside on a hot sunny day and said to yourself, “I need some shade?” When you go from the sun to the shade you can feel a change in the temperature, and so can your car. Not only will parking your car in the shade keep you and your car cool, but it will also prolong the life of your car.

Get car window shades: Sometimes you might be unlucky and can’t find a shady spot to park your car. Be prepared if you run into this situation by buying yourself window shades. Not only do these UV heat shields keep your car from becoming super hot, but they also protect the interior of your car.

Leave your car windows slightly open: By leaving your car windows open slightly you are allowing hot air to escape. Leaving your windows closed traps the hot air inside your car, and your glass windows act as a conductor that helps heat your car.

Turn the floor air vents on: A common mistake that a lot of people make when they first get in their hot car is blasting the cool air from the dashboard vents. Believe it or not, your actually better off turning your floor vents on first because hot air rises. Your floor vents will help push the hot air out of your car faster. Then once your car begins to cool you can open your dashboard vents back up.

Watch the car temperature gauge: The temperature gauge in your car is located on the dashboard. The needle in the gauge should always be pointed towards the center. If you notice that the needle is pointed towards hot, pull over immediately and turn your car off to allow it to cool.

Turn on your heat: You read that correctly. Turn on your heat when your car is overheating. That might be the last thing you want to do on a hot day, but it will actually pull the hot air out of your engine compartment and help cool the engine.

Add coolant: This is important to do during hot months. However, never add coolant to a hot engine, always wait for the engine to be cool. To check the coolant level in your car, open up the hood and locate the coolant reservoir. The level of the coolant will then be shown by indicator lines on the reservoir.

Have a mechanic flush your radiator: Even if you do keep your engine coolant at the right levels, it will eventually get dirty. A radiator flush is simple and involves draining the old coolant from the radiator, cleaning it with flush fluid, and adding new coolant. A recommendation is to get a flush every 40,000 miles, but check your owner’s manual for the manufacturer’s recommendation first.

Consider replacing your car battery: Is your car battery older than three years? If it is, chances are it’s not providing the power it once did. This causes your car to work harder, and overheat.

Ormsby Motors prides itself on providing exemplary customer services. We take every measure to ensure you are satisfied with all your used car sales, repair, and towing needs and will do whatever it takes to earn your business and remain lifelong clients. Ormsby Motors has been proudly serving the Crystal Lake area for a number of years. We pride ourselves on being large enough to provide professionalism and reliability, yet small enough to provide personalized service. To learn how Ormsby Motors can help you find your next vehicle, please visit our website or give us a call at (815) 459-4566. We can answer all of your vehicle purchase questions! Like us on Facebook to stay up-to-date on current events, tips, and specials.

Sources

https://blog.nationwide.com/how-to-keep-your-car-from-overheating/