If your car keeps overheating every time that you drive it, there is most likely an issue with the cooling system. This is especially true if you have driven well past 30,000 miles without servicing the cooling system. This service is recommended every 30,000 miles to make sure the cooling system is clean and you have fresh coolant in the engine. Here are reasons why your car keeps overheating.
Clogs in the Cooling System
If the cooling system gets clogs in it, this will impede the circulation of coolant throughout the entire engine. Consequently, parts of the engine will start to overheat. As you keep driving, this excess heat will transfer throughout the entire engine and you will see the temperature gauge needle rise on the dashboard. We recommend that you avoid driving your automobile if it is overheating.
Leaks in the Cooling System
The cooling system can also fail if it is leaking coolant. Coolant can leak out of numerous cooling system parts including the radiator, thermostat, and water pump. Generally, the engine needs enough coolant circulating through it at the right pressure in order to maintain a temperature below 220 degrees Fahrenheit. A leak in the coolant system will reduce the level of coolant circulating through the engine.
Problems With the Water Pump
Speaking of circulation, this is the water pump’s job. If the water pump has gone bad, you may not have coolant circulating through the engine at all. Unfortunately, this will cause the engine’s temperature to rise above 220 degrees relatively quickly after you start it. If your automobile is older than 10 years old and the engine is overheating, the water pump may have died.
Problems With the Thermostat
The thermostat can also die after 10 years, and this can mean that you don’t have any coolant circulating through the engine. The thermostat is the cooling system part that opens a valve to send the coolant to the water pump. Unfortunately, your engine will overheat very quickly after you start it if the thermostat is no longer working.
Problems With the Radiator
Finally, the radiator itself can start to have problems and this will cause your engine to overheat. The radiator can get rusted on the bottom if it is old. This corrosion will eat through the bottom of the radiator and it will start to leak. In addition, the radiator can get clogged with sediment.
Call us today so we can schedule an appointment to inspect your vehicle’s cooling system. We will find the problem and fix it.
