Overheating engine…… What to do???????
Posted on December 29, 2008
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You are driving as usual, stereo blaring and then all of a sudden your engine dies and hissing steam comes rushing from under the hood. What do you do? Steer to the side of the road and set the hazard lights on, place the EWD’s(the reflective triangles) in place, but don’t open the hood just yet. That steam is hotter than boiling water so kill the engine and let it cool a bit. If the hissing has stopped, the high pressure has dissipated and it is therefore safe to open the hood (but not the radiator cap!!!). Take a good look at the engine compartment and any visible problem would be apparent such as a punctured/cracked hose, a hole in the radiator, a broken fan belt (if your vehicle has one for new cars have totally electric fans) or it may simply be the radiator cap set improperly. Nothing out of the ordinary, get a towel or rag to protect your hand from the hot radiator cap, push down and twist ever so slowly (at the slightest hiss, twist back and let cool some more). Get your hands on some water but do not fill the radiator just yet, start the engine and once it idles, pour water till it’s full. Filling an overheated engine with water/coolant without the engine running is suicidal for the water circulation pump is not running. Hot metal plus cold water means cracked engine, and that’s bad(very very bad). Run slowly to the nearest garage but keep your eye on that temperature gauge, stopping and killing the engine to let it cool again. The engine cutting out is due to a circuit breaker that is set to cut electrical power to the engine protecting it from blowing up. Get to a garage fast and get the problem fixed quick for it won’t go away. Also replace the temperature sensor for they get cooked easily and may not work properly after an overheat as well as the radiator cap for good measure.
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