An overheating car is a scary situation. First, there’s all the smoke, which can be overwhelming if you mistake it for fire smoke. Second, it means that your car’s engine is getting damaged, especially if you keep driving with a car that’s too hot. Keeton Auto Repair has some information that can help.
Failing Thermostat
The thermostat is a simple part that can cause big problems, especially when it stops working properly. Whether it fails stuck open or stuck closed, eventually this one tiny mechanism can be the cause of your car overheating. It’s a quick fix, thankfully, and if you catch the problem soon enough there might not be anything else to worry about.
You Missed a Few Oil Changes
You might be wondering what oil changes have to do with your car overheating. It’s pretty simple, really. Your car’s engine oil works triple duty in the engine by keeping the engine clean, lubricated, and cooler than it would be with coolant alone. That’s an important job and if you’re skipping oil changes, that means that the engine oil that’s circulating is old and maybe can’t keep up with the demands of your engine. That can lead to overheating.
Cooling System Trouble
When the cooling system itself starts to have issues, that’s going to quickly cause overheating problems in your car’s engine. The cooling system in your car consists of a variety of hoses and reservoirs that all connect with parts like the radiator to send antifreeze, also called coolant, through the entire system to cool the engine. If there’s a leak or if you’re low on coolant for too long, your engine is going to overheat.
Failing Water Pump
The water pump is part of the cooling system, but it’s a crucial part. The water pump is what keeps coolant pumping and moving through the cooling system. If the water pump fails, that means that there’s no way for antifreeze to keep working its way through the system. So, you could have plenty of coolant, but if there’s no way to move it, that doesn’t do you any good at all.
If your car is overheating, don’t wait to figure out what’s going on. Give us a call at Keeton Auto Repair in Overland Park, KS. We’ll take a closer look at what’s happening and let you know what your car needs in order to get back to perfect working order.
