You know your engine is overheating when you see a puff of white smoke, your temperature needle begins to make its way toward the red, and you smell the distinctive acrid scent of boiling coolant. Next, that small puff of smoke becomes an impenetrable cloud, and the temperature needle will be stuck on hot.
Your vehicle won’t be running well at this point, but don’t panic! Keep reading for the procedures you should follow if this happens to you.
What Are The Steps To Take When My Engine Is Overheated?
Take these steps for an overheated vehicle:
- Stay calm and pull over to the side of the road.
- Turn off your A/C. If you can’t pull over and stop the car, turn on the heater; this will pull in the warm air from the engine and dispel it into your interior. We recommend rolling down the windows so you don’t overheat your cabin.
- Once you’re in a safe location, open the vehicle’s hood and allow it to cool down for 5-10 minutes. Inspect the engine bay to see if a cracked or loose hose, loss of coolant pressure, leaky radiator, or a loose fan caused the overheating issue. If you can repair one of those issues with what you have in the car, do what you must to get your vehicle running safely and head to a mechanic to have it properly repaired.
- If you can’t get your vehicle running safely, call a tow truck company like Tow Pro!
What Should I Avoid Doing If My Engine Overheats?
Here are some actions to avoid if your engine should overheat:
- Don’t panic or ignore the signs and keep driving, hoping it will all disappear.
- Don’t crank the A/C or speed up to get off the road – pull over!
- Don’t allow your car to stay at high temperatures for a prolonged period. If you do, you’ll find yourself with warped metal – from heads and pistons to cranks and cams and everything in between.
Once you get off the roadway, call Tow Pro! We are towing and hauling experts! Our licensed towing operators are trained and board-certified, so they go into every vehicle recovery situation with a sure sense of what to do. We use state-of-the-art equipment because top-quality equipment will do the job safely and efficiently.
Tow Pro has also achieved the highest rating from the Better Business Bureau, the A+ rating. Our client-focused approach has made us the go-to towing and hauling company in Middle Tennessee!
Whether you need us to give your car a jump start or change your tires, call (615) 256-TOWS (8697) or fill out this contact form. We are happy to help out however we can!