Your car, truck, utility vehicle, or van’s engine should always run below 220 degrees Fahrenheit. If the engine gets hotter than that, it is overheating. An engine that overheats constantly is susceptible to serious damage that could require a total engine replacement to fix the problem. J&S Auto Repair lists the common reasons why your car keeps overheating below.
Cooling Fan Issues
The cooling system has a cooling fan that blows over the hot engine coolant in the radiator to help reduce its temperature. When this fan malfunctions, the coolant’s temperature is not reduced enough before it circulates through the engine again. Hot coolant will make the engine overheat.
Damaged Radiator
Your radiator also has air inlets that draw fresh air in to help reduce the coolant’s temperature. These inlets can get clogged with dirt and debris. If your vehicle is old, your radiator might also be clogged with corrosion that is slowly eating away at the bottom. This will make your radiator leak eventually.
Engine Coolant
Many things can go wrong with your engine’s coolant. If it is old and dirty, your car will overheat. If it is leaking out of the system, the lower coolant levels will make your car overheat. If you put the wrong coolant in the cooling system, this, too, will make your car overheat.
Failing Thermostat
The average lifespan of an engine thermostat is 10 years. If you drive an older automobile, it’s possible that your car is overheating constantly because the thermostat has died. When the thermostat dies, it often gets stuck in the closed position and does not release coolant into the engine.
System Clogs
Your radiator system can also be clogged. We briefly talked about how the radiator can be clogged above. Dirt and debris can also clog the radiator hoses, and this will prevent coolant from circulating through the engine.
System Leaks
Your radiator can leak as discussed above, as can the hoses, gaskets, seals, water pump, and other cooling system parts. If you have coolant leaking onto your garage floor, it’s important to get the leak fixed right away so that your coolant levels are not constantly low.
Water Pump Problems
The water pump generally lasts about 100,000 miles. If it has failed or is leaking, there will not be enough coolant circulating through the engine. This, naturally, will cause your engine to overheat every time you drive your automobile.
J&S Auto Repair in Warwick, RI, warns that the problem could also be with your motor oil or fuel pump among other possibilities. Bring your vehicle to our shop for an inspection. We will find out why it’s overheating and fix it.
