What to Do When Your Car Overheats: A Step-by-Step Guide in Marsfield

Many car owners complain that their car heats when idling but cool when driving. They have various issues with car overheating: Why is my engine running hot? Why is my car overheating? Thus, this causes you much stress. However, you must know how to fix an overheating car. 

This article discussed measures to take when the car overheats for various reasons. We also discussed why the car gets hot when accelerating. Finally, we included what to do if the car is overheating.

Car overheating when AC is on

When the AC is turned on, it circulates coolant throughout the car, efficiently absorbing car heat. The AC belt runs the AC compressor. However, it does not affect the temperature of the engine. Yet, if it becomes dysfunctional, the AC causes the car to overheat. This problem occurs when the outdoors is too hot or you don’t maintain your car. 

The AC compressor puts pressure on the engine. Therefore, your car overheats and stresses the cooling system.  

The coolant fluid may have leaked or evaporated. Without sufficient coolant fluid, this results in engine overheating when the AC is on. Epping Auto Service Center replaces the old coolant with a new version.  

Driving causes dust to collect on the car radiator, which may become blocked. But activating the air conditioner will put a strain on the radiator. If air fails to pass over the radiator, it overheats the coolant. The same problem will occur if you don’t clean the AC condenser regularly. Thus, you must clean the radiator fins and AC condenser regularly.

If you are unable to turn the radiator fans when turning on the AC, this will damage the radiator. Air will not pass over the radiator no matter how fast the car is moving. Thus, you must ensure that the cooling or radiator fans work perfectly. If they make a humming sound, this means that they are damaged.

In addition, you must check the radiator’s temperature regularly. If it is more than 15F, this indicates a problem with the coolant. It also means that the radiator is clogged, or it indicates a defective water pump.

Thus, Epping Auto Service Center identifies these issues when the car overheats when the AC is on.

The car gets hot when accelerating.

When the car drives slowly, the car overheats if the radiator does not receive much air. The cause is damaged radiator fins. Moreover, a defective electric fan or clutch causes this.

If the coolant level is low or air does not move through it, the car overheats. Worn-out parts such as hoses and radiator caps also cause this. Therefore, we assess the condition of all these related parts and decide how to fix the problem.

If the thermostat is blocked, the car gets hot when accelerating. Moreover, faulty radiator caps cause the radiator fluid or coolant to boil.

The car only overheats when driving too fast due to the small size of the radiator. If you replace it with a radiator made of aluminum, you will be able to fix the problem. 

The car overheats only when accelerating due to a block in the radiator’s core. Thus, the radiator can’t cool down the fluid or radiator liquid or coolant. Moreover, car overheating occurs if there is no coolant at all or rust collects in the radiator pipes. Thus, these problems indicate that you need to maintain your car better.

Defective radiator hoses cause an overheated car. If coolant flows at high pressure through the radiator, the hose comes apart, and coolant can’t flow through the radiator anymore. Hence, at Epping Auto Service Center, we check the radiator hoses regularly.

What to do if the car is overheating

Sometimes you see the engine overheating, but the coolant is full. Coolant keeps the car’s temperature to a minimum and prevents rust from collecting on the engine. Moreover, rust insulates the engine and thus lowers the coolant’s functionality. As a result, the coolant can’t flow, and its passages will be blocked. Therefore, we change the coolant frequently.

It is essential to use a good coolant from a reputed company. The chemical compositions of various coolants differ. However, it must match the one in your car so that it does not overheat. Moreover, you can avoid corrosion if you use the correct coolant. Thus, we highly recommend coolant brands that are perfect for your car.

The color of the coolant determines its purpose. However, it is not compulsory to use certain particular colors. The OEM coolant, which is primarily made for the engine, is what you should use.

Sometimes, the end tanks of radiators leak. You must thus use an OEM radiator. Moreover, you should seek top-notch brands. To prevent your car from running hot, you must do this. 

Due to a poor thermostat, the car overheats while driving. Moreover, it can become completely dysfunctional. Thus, it will prevent coolant from flowing to the radiator, and your engine will suffer as well. Thus, you must invest in an excellent thermostat, such as the OEM thermostat.

Faulty belts cause cars to overheat in traffic. Moreover, in hot weather, belts last a shorter time. Your car overheats due to a worn-out belt. Thus, you must replace your cracked belts. 

The belt runs the water pump. When the seal of the water pump breaks, the car overheats. This occurs due to defective pump bearings. Since belt tension damages the pump bearing, we ensure the belt has the correct tension. In addition, water pumps will function till you have driven seventy-five thousand miles. Thus, if you have that kind of mileage, you should immediately switch to a new water pump.

Conclusion

Epping Auto Service Center provides the best cure for your car’s health. We consistently identify problems before they escalate. Additionally, we regularly assess the condition of the cooling system, radiator, and AC that cause your car to overheat. If your car overheats, we must recover its condition and make it operate smoothly.

Thus, we change the coolant frequently and use a good brand. We install OEM radiators and change defective belts. Moreover, we advise that you don’t turn the AC on every time you are in the car and that you don’t use the AC repeatedly since this can put pressure on it. To wrap up, we have workshops in Marsfield, Dundas Valley, Carlingford, Eastwood, Macquarie Park, Cheltenham, and Beecroft.

If you want to ask some questions, feel free to contact us by phone, email, or social media. Please keep in mind that our Car Repair and Maintenance are not based in Dundas Valley. Nevertheless, we provide services to areas surrounding Epping.