Most people don’t pay much attention to their temperature gauge. Each time you look at the temperature gauge, it usually shows the needle pointing between the blue and red sides. This indicates your engine is at an ideal temperature. Servicing your vehicle is imperative for maintaining running temperature levels and one thing that needs frequent checks during these services is the radiator coolant level and or the level of coolant in the reservoir or overflow tank.
However, there may come the point when you notice the temperature gauge needle moving toward the red side of the gauge. The red side means the engine temperature is getting hotter, which is terrible for your engine. An overheated car could cause permanent damage to your engine if it is not cooled down fast enough.
If you’re driving along and notice the temperature gauge needle moving toward the red zone, the first thing you should do is pull over to the side of the road as soon as possible. Try to position yourself somewhere away from oncoming cars and traffic so that you can be in a safe location.
Next, take out your mobile phone and call an emergency roadside service provider, such as Executive Towing Services. Let the customer support representative know what is going on and where you’re located right now. They will send the nearest tow truck to your location to tow you to a safe location for inspection or repairs such as a local repair centre or mechanic.
How often do you add coolant to the coolant reservoir? Unfortunately, it is easy to forget to check or to add coolant with all the other life tasks you need to complete. But if you fail to add coolant to your radiator, it can be possible that your engine may overheat, especially on hot summer days.
The worst thing you can do is let your engine continue to overheat for extended periods. If you do, it could cause your engine to crack significantly to the point where you’ll have to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on repairing the damage. Therefore, make sure you pull over quickly and call for help whenever you have an overheated engine while driving. Executive Towing Services has towed countless vehicles from overheating issues in Perth and can help if your vehicle overheats.
How to Maintain the Coolant Levels in the Coolant Reservoir
Please make it a habit to periodically check your engine’s coolant reservoir to see if the coolant level is between the MIN marker and MAX marker. It should not be under the MIN marker or over the MAX marker. If you see the coolant level in either of these circumstances, you need to add or remove coolant as required.
Are you wondering where to access the coolant reservoir of your car? First, go inside your vehicle and pull the lever to pop open your hood. Make sure your engine is turned off. If you started your engine recently, give it about 30 minutes to cool down because it is probably burning hot right now. The last thing you’ll want to do is burn yourself accidentally.
The coolant reservoir container is not made of metal like the oil reservoir, so don’t confuse the two. Coolant reservoirs are typically plastic and have a bright opaque, non-transparent colour. It should be located somewhere next to the engine. But if you’re still unsure, check the owner’s manual for further guidance. You could also look up video tutorials on the internet which correspond with your make and model vehicle.
You must know how to distinguish between the oil and coolant reservoirs. If you were to pour coolant into the oil reservoir, it could turn into a costly mistake. Once you can locate the coolant reservoir, check the coolant levels at least once every month. Most professional auto mechanics and car manufacturers will tell you to change your coolant every 50,000 kilometres, even if the coolant levels are within a normal range. But if they are not within a normal range, you need to act immediately.
If the coolant level is under the MIN marker, it could be due to leakage somewhere in the reservoir. Check for pink, green, red, or blue liquid puddles under your car. These puddles would be the coolant that leaked onto the ground. If you notice coolant leakage, you need to repair the cause of the leakage to stop it from happening again. Then you can add more coolant to the reservoir.
A low level of coolant doesn’t always mean there is a leak. Perhaps your coolant reservoir is simply running out of coolant because it is getting used up. It’s not recommended to mix coolants so if only a small amount is required, add distilled water to the reservoir to get the level back up to between the MIN marker and MAX marker.
Other Ways to Prevent Overheating Your Engine
Low coolant or engine oil levels are not the only ways you could get an overheated engine. Sometimes the problem could be attributed to a defective or worn-out component, such as the electric cooling fan, drive belt, water pump, head gasket, the radiator, or perhaps the engine itself.
If your engine gets overheated on a short trip, then one of the components mentioned above has probably gone bad. But if you get an overheated engine on a longer trip, then it could be attributed to the weight of the load you’re hauling.
Oftentimes, people take road trips and stuff many personal items in their vehicles to take with them. This puts more stress on the engine because it requires more power to haul all this extra weight. If the weight exceeds the manufacturer’s recommended weight limit, you could develop an overheated engine.
The solution is to reduce the load weight on long trips. Also, take periodic breaks during long trips so that your engine has time to cool down.
Call a Professional
Does your car have an overheated engine? Are you parked on the side of the road? If so, the next step is to call our emergency towing service for assistance. Executive Towing Services on 0410 471 056. We service all areas of Perth and offer fast and reliable towing services.