Vehicle overheating is something that all car owners have come to experience at one point. Even though engines in today’s vehicles are designed to be durable, when under certain conditions, the engine can get overheated, resulting in underperformance of the cooling system. Understanding the reasons behind your vehicle overheating as well as how you can avoid such inconveniences, is very important.
Having to face an engine breakdown in the middle of a drive can cause a load of inconvenience to you. If you are experiencing your vehicle overheating, we suggest you stop driving and park your car safely. Take the necessary actions to avoid any unavoidable damages and collisions.
Reasons For Overheating
The following are some of the most common reasons behind vehicle overheating.
Low Oil
Your car engine is composed of tens of small components. When your car is turned on, all of these components get into movement and every single component has a specified role in making the engine work coherently. All these components are rubbing against each other at high speeds. If the heat due to friction is allowed to be generated that steadily, it can expose your vehicle to damage. Engine oil plays a vital role in keeping friction low by lubricating the components well. In case the oil is low, engine components are exposed to more friction and hence more heat is generated, resulting in overheating.
Failing Cooling System
The cooling system of engines is responsible for driving away the heat generated during the engine’s performance. In case the cooling system is exposed to any type of damage like leakage, it can cause the resulting heat to be trapped inside. This will cause your vehicle to overheat. To keep your vehicle from overheating, it is important to keep the cooling system maintained and in check. Go through your vehicle maintenance check with your warranty provider to ensure no damage is being inflicted on the vehicle’s cooling system.
Faulty Belts
Faulty belts can be another underlying cause of your vehicle overheating. Vehicle belts play the role of transmitting power from the engine to other transmission components of a vehicle. Air conditioning, charging systems, and fans are all driven by the power conducted through these belts. Underperforming or faulty belts in vehicles can lead to the neglected performance of the cooling system. Keeping your vehicle’s belts in check and properly maintained can play a crucial role in keeping away overheated vehicles.
Radiator Underperformance
The radiator is one of the most important components of your vehicle’s cooling system. It draws away the heat produced in the engine. If the radiator is affected, your vehicle is sure to experience overheating. Radiator performance should be regularly checked and should be ensured that no dirt or debris is causing damage to it.
Failing Water Pump
The water pump is responsible for keeping the coolant transmitted throughout the cooling system. Any damage to the water pump can in turn affect the whole cooling system. If the cooling system is not performing properly, the car will experience overheating. Taking care of your car’s water pump, which is also an extended component of the cooling system, is another way to prevent potential overheating from occurring.
How Long Can a Car Run Overheat?
If you experience your car overheating during a drive, we suggest you park it safely as soon as you can. Driving an overheated car can cause extreme damage, and is totally not worth going through. An overheated vehicle can run for around 30-60 seconds before the internal components start experiencing damage. This time is often misunderstood by many, who believe it might take a couple of minutes before the hat can actually inflict damage on the vehicle. The truth however is that the interior will start experiencing the damaging effect within seconds.
Neglecting and overlooking heated vehicles will only give you the chance to do so a couple of times in case you get lucky. Sooner or later, you can experience cylinder head warping, combustion, or gasket blow. To avoid any long-lasting damage and costly repairs, getting your vehicle overheating caused fixed as soon as possible is highly recommended.
Prevent Overheating
Even though overheated vehicles can be pricey to be repaired and there’s less you can to do undo that, you can however take precautionary measures to avoid overheating in the first place. Some ways to avoid overheating are:
- Keep engine oil at the required level
- Park in garage
- Maintain engine coolant regularly
- Use window shades
- Get your vehicle maintained regularly
Conclusion
It takes around 30-60 seconds before an overheated vehicle starts damaging the internal components of the car. It is important that precautionary measures are taken in order to avoid overheated vehicles. Driving an overheated vehicle, even when you are in a rush should be avoided at all costs. In case you experience an overheated vehicle while driving, we strongly suggest you park your vehicle and call for the nearest assistance service.
