Underneath your car’s hood you will find an internal combustion engine. As the name suggests, internal combustion engines produce heat. While car manufacturers are increasingly making this process more and more efficient, the fact remains that this process still wastes and loses a lot of heat. Modern car engines remain somewhere between 22 and 38 percent efficient.
While this heat is an essential by-product of powering your car, the reality is that the materials used to manufacturer the engine and parts can only cope up to a certain temperature. As such, the engine cooling system ensures that the temperature of these parts does not exceed a certain level, maintaining effective operation of the engine. Although modern engines are made from materials that are generally more resistant to heat, they are still vulnerable to damage if things get too hot.
Overheating can cause serious damage to the engine parts in your car. In the event of excessive temperatures, the gasoline engine will start to deteriorate. The car will lose power, as the combination of heat and pressure will start to exceed the octane rating of the fuel. This can damage the rings, pistons, or rod bearings. Hot spots can also develop inside the combustion chamber that will ignite the fuel. This can also cause damage to the engine or run-on in older models (that have carburetors).
Other damage caused by an overheating engine can include burst hoses or radiators, pistons can seize and fail to operate, or a blown head gasket. If the head gasket is damaged, coolant and combustion leaks can occur when the head cools and the cost of repair can be significant.
Most modern cars now alert drivers to any problems with a hot warning lamp on the driver’s display. In the event that the lamp is illuminated, you should seek help from the service department at our dealership as soon as possible. While moderate overheating may not cause immediate damage, if the problem worsens then you risk much more serious damage and even complete mechanical failure. The sooner the problem is treated, the lower your repair cost is likely to be.
Overheating can result from a number of different things. Anything that decreases the cooling system’s capability to operate effectively can cause problems with overheating. This could include a coolant leak or low coolant, deposits inside the water jackets in the cooling system, a problem of fault with the thermostat, a problem with the radiator, a broken cooling fan and other mechanical failure, or damage to parts of the engine. In the event that you car shows signs of overheating, the service department at our dealership should be able to diagnose the problem for you.
In the event that your car overheats, stop as soon as it is safe to do so. Turn the engine off and allow the car to cool down. If you are mechanically-minded, you may be able to find the cause of the problem yourself, but take care as the engine parts are likely to be very hot. Unless you are very confident, it is always advisable to call us and ask for professional help. Your car might be fine to drive for a short distance once it cools, but if the damage is serious enough, you might need to get it towed. Stay safe out there!
