Three Surprising Ways To Deal With Your Car's Overheating During The Hot Summer Days
Posted on: 2 August 2017
Some cars don't handle the hot summer months well; their engines get overheated and cause all manner of problems. Overheating can warp your engine cylinders, crack the engine's head gasket, and even damage your exhaust system. There are many ways of dealing with the issue; some of them are pretty surprising. Here are three examples of these surprising measures:
Turning On the Heater
If asked whether they should switch the heater off or on if the engine is overheating, many motorists will opt to switch off the heater. However, this doesn't help because the heater doesn't heat the engine; it heats up your car's interior. In fact, turning on the heater is beneficial to the engine because it takes heat away from the engine, allowing it to cool. This is possible because your car's heating system gets its heat from the heat created by the engine's operation.
Turning Off the Air Conditioner
Your natural instinct may be to turn on the air conditioner (AC) when the temperatures are high; after all, you want your car's interior to be comfortable. Unfortunately, turning on the air conditioner is only good for your car's interior, but it is bad for your car's engine. This is because the air conditioner draws its power from the engine, and you need to minimize your engine's work it is heating up. Turning off the AC will reduce your engine's load and allow it to cool down. The temporary discomfort may be enough to save your engine from the damages associated with overheating.
Revving the Engine
If your car's engine is cooling up when the car isn't moving, then a good way to increase its cooling capacity is to rev the engine. On the surface, revving the engine if it is overheating may seem counter-intuitive. After all, aren't you increasing the engine's load and making it produce more heat? It's true that revving the engine increases its load, but the additional heat (and more) will be taken away by the increased flow of the coolant. This is because when you rev the engine, it speeds up the operations of the fan and water pump, thereby cooling the car.
Hopefully, the tips above will prevent your car from heating up and getting damaged. Of course, you should also perform the other common precautions such as ensuring the coolant level is adequate and the radiator lines aren't clogged. Consult a shop like Dualtone Muffler Brake & Alignment for advice if your engine is constantly heating up despite your best precautions.
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