How to Keep Your Car From Overheating in the Summer
Although it can happen in the cooler spring or autumn months, summer is a time of year where our cars can be particularly vulnerable to overheating. The temperature can get hot and your car is working hard, so you will want to do what you can to protect it from overheating. Learn how to keep your car from overheating in the summer and find out what you should do if it ever does.
The first thing to do before you embark on all your summer road trips is to have your cooling system checked by a service technician if it has not been looked at recently. This will help ensure that your vehicle is in proper condition to keep you and your car’s engine cool. Schedule an appointment with one of our automotive professionals to have it checked out.
It can be a good idea to keep some extra coolant or antifreeze in your car in case you need it on the road. Keeping an extra bottle in the trunk can really save the day if you find the coolant is low. You should allow everything to cool down first, however, before you start doing anything under the hood.
Usually, the car will alert you if the engine is in danger of overheating, so do not ignore these warning signs. The best thing to do is to pull over, turn off the engine, open the hood and allow everything to cool down naturally before you start driving again.
If you’re stuck in traffic or are unable to pull over to the side of the road, there are still steps you can take to avoid damage to your vehicle from overheating. If you have the air conditioning on, you should turn it off and roll down the windows instead. Turning the temperature gauge on your climate control system to the warmest setting can also help allow some of the excess heat to escape.
Other steps you can take to avoid overheating include making sure your engine has fresh oil and your fans are working properly. Now that you know how to keep your car from overheating in the summer, if you ever see a warning light or notice your temperature creeping into dangerous territory, be sure to take these steps to avoid vehicle damage and be sure to call for roadside assistance if the vehicle still does not cool down. As always, feel free to contact us at Mazda of Lodi with your automotive needs and questions.