What To Do If Your Car Overheats
9 November 2007Detecting the Problem:
A car has several indicators to notify you that is it overheating. The first is a temperature gauge near the fuel gauge and odometer gauge. In an overheat situation the needle advances into the red area of the gauge and the car beeps incessantly at you. The second indicator is a giant plume of smoke, this is released from a smoke canister when the cars computer detects an overheat situation. Be sure to replace the canister after each overheat situation.
Plan of Action:
If your car reports an overheat situation, you should immediately slam on your brakes, shut off the engine, turn on the hazard lights, open your hood, put out your safety cones, then get a safe distance from the vehicle. Monitor the vehicle for approximately 30 minutes before you approach it. You do not want to risk being near the vehicle should it suddenly ignite and/or explode.
When you do return to your vehicle, your first action is to kick the vehicle. This shows the vehicle who’s boss and releases some of your anger. You may kick the vehicle several more times but don’t kick in the same place, you may cause a dent. Once you have calmed down, check to see if the radiator is empty. If you don’t know which part is the radiator, it’s the big part in front that looks like a radiator.
Remedy the Situation:
You probably have several things to remedy at this point. You likely got rear ended when you slammed on your brakes. That’s okay, if you play it right, you can get their insurance to pay for your repairs. Do your normal accident routine. Or better yet, refer to our guide: What to do in the event of an accident.
If your radiator was empty when you checked it earlier, you need to fill it back up, duh. Since most people don’t drive around several gallons of water, you will need to call someone to bring some. Or if you’re too cheap to carry a cell phone, you’ll have to walk for it. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could wait for someone to stop and help you.
Once you acquire some water, put it in the radiator. Locate the cap that says ‘coolant’ or ‘radiator’ and turn it until it comes off. If you need a wrench, try turning it the other direction. Pour the water into the small hole. They make it small for a reason, to frustrate you. The colder the water, the better. You’re trying to cool off the engine. If some or most of the water, depending on how coordinated you are, misses the hole, that’s okay, it will cool off the engine directly.
Now that your engine is cooled off and you’re radiator is full, check to make sure it’s not leaking. The last thing you need to do is leave a trail of water to your next overheat situation. If your car has more damage from either a larger problem or from the accident you caused, you should ask yourself why you didn’t just call a tow truck in the first place.
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