Five Ways to Stop Your Car from Overheating

Five Ways to Stop Your Car from Overheating

Texas is known for a lot of things, among them the sweltering, blistering temperatures that summer brings. In addition to high levels of humidity and sudden thunderstorms that may include high winds and hail, triple-digit temperatures are also fairly commonplace. And it’s those blistering temperatures that are the sworn enemy of your car. Your cooling system has to work extra hard to keep your engine at a suitable operating temperature that avoids metal fatigue, warping, and other major types of damage.

However, even with a healthy cooling system, the workload might just be too much. So to help you avoid having to deal with the consequences of overheating your engine, here are five things you can do that will help keep the heat away and keep your car running smoothly this summer.

Park Smart

If your car has serious heating problems, then you want to give it plenty of time to cool off after it runs. That means parking in the shade if possible so the air that flows through your engine compartment is the coolest it can get. This will help bring your engine to the lowest possible temperature and reduce the amount of time it takes to get there. Furthermore, you may also want to consider getting a sunshade for your windshield to help keep the blistering sun from baking your car’s interior.

Use Your A/C Wisely

Your air conditioner is one of the largest loads on your engine, and one that can greatly increase the amount of heat in your engine bay. While keeping your A/C off during a Texas heatwave isn’t really an option, you can do a few things that help keep the strain on your engine low. First, use the floor vents when you first turn your car on. Your car is only going to be blowing hot air anyway, so point it down at your feet helps cycle out the hot air that’s risen to the top of the cabin, cooling the cabin faster. Likewise, using the “fresh” setting allows you to cool the cabin faster by pulling in ambient air from outside rather than circulating hot air that was in the cabin of your car.

Mind the Temperature

Keep an eye on that temperature gauge on your instrument cluster: it will tell you when your engine temperature is getting dangerously high. Generally, the temperature will rise to a certain point, and it will stay there for the duration of your trip when your engine and cooling system are both working correctly. However, when that gauge continues to climb towards the red danger area, pull over and let your engine cool off before continuing.

Turn On the Heater

When you’re facing a temperature emergency with your car, pull over, turn off the engine, but leave the ignition in the “on” position. Switch your climate control over to the maximum “heat” setting, and then turn the fan on full blast. This will pull heat from the engine bay, which will cool your engine and could save it from suffering any serious damage when the temperature climbs too high.

Upgrade Your Coolant System

In high-temperature climates like Texas, a good coolant system is vital for keeping your engine running smoothly. If your coolant system isn’t enough to keep your car running smoothly, or you find that it’s just getting too old to keep up, replacing it with a high-performance radiator and cooling system may be the solution you need.

HP Motorsports can help outfit your ride with a new, high-end cooling system that will help your car survive the summer heat and perform its best! Contact our Katy high performance automotive shop by dialing (801) 231-9950 today.

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