It isn’t safe to drive your car if it overheats all the time. You not only run the risk of damaging the engine, but if it gets too hot, you could blow the radiator cap. Louisville Automotive Shop would be happy to inspect your cooling system if your car, truck, or utility vehicle overheats every time you drive it. Here are common problems that could be causing your engine to run too hot meaning your car will overheat.
Circulation Issues
If the water pump is malfunctioning, it may not be circulating enough coolant through the engine to keep it cool. The water pump is responsible for circulating the coolant once the thermostat releases it.
Clogged Cooling System
An older cooling system can be clogged by contaminants, dirt, and sediment. The hoses may be clogged, the water pump may be clogged, or it’s possible that the radiator is clogged. In fact, the radiator corrodes on the bottom over time.
Cooling Fan Problems
As the water pump circulates the coolant through the engine, it finds its way back to the radiator to be cooled off by a fan and air inlets. If the fan is malfunctioning or the inlets are clogged, the coolant will still be hot as it is recirculated through the engine.
Leaking Coolant
Your cooling system might also have a leak and the coolant levels are too low as a result. Coolant can leak out of the water pump, the radiator, the overflow reservoir, the hoses, and the seals. The leak may be a slow leak that you can’t see on your garage floor.
Radiator Problems
As we said above, older radiators have corrosion on the bottom of them. Eventually, this corrosion eats through the bottom of the radiator and causes it to leak. All radiators can also be clogged and, also as mentioned above, the air inlets can become caked with dirt.
Thermostat Failure
Finally, the water pump cannot circulate the coolant through the engine until such time as the thermostat releases it. The thermostat is responsible for keeping track of the engine’s temperature and releasing the coolant once the engine gets too hot. If it is malfunctioning, it may never release the coolant.
Louisville Automotive Shop in Louisville, KY, would be happy to inspect your cooling system to find out why your automobile overheats every time you drive it. Once we locate the problem, will let you know what it is and what it will take to fix it. Call our shop today to schedule an appointment.
