7 emergency steps to handle an overheated car engine while driving on the road

1. Pull over as soon as possible

An overheated car engine is bad for the car; if this condition persists for too long, the car can be seriously damaged.

The driver should observe the temperature gauge, if the temperature needle is in the red line, the car is definitely overheating. In addition, the engine emitting steam is also a sign that the car engine is boiling... When detecting these two signs, you need to find a safe place to park the car.

If you can't find a place to park right away, turn off the air conditioning, open the windows, turn on the heater and radiator fan - this will help the engine release heat.

2. Open the hood when steam stops coming out.

The radiator boils and steam comes out of the engine. The driver should not open the hood immediately because it is easy to burn his hand. Waiting for the hood to cool can take 30 to 45 minutes but it will help the driver to be safe.

Note, when opening the hood, the driver turns off the engine but leaves the key in the “on” position. The components in the car will still operate to continue cooling the car.

3. Check the radiator hose

The driver determines the condition of the radiator system by gently squeezing the radiator hose (by hand). If the hose is too hard and difficult to squeeze, the radiator cap should not be opened because the pressure in the hose is very high and opening the radiator cap is very dangerous.

Note, the radiator hose can be quite hot so the driver should use a clean cloth or towel to handle the hose. Avoid handling it directly with your hands.

4. Screw the radiator cap properly

To unscrew the radiator cap safely, the driver should use a thick cloth to cover the radiator cap. The liquid inside the radiator will quickly cool when the radiator cap is opened. For radiators without threads, the driver should press it down immediately after loosening. The radiator cap can be opened completely this way.

5. Check the engine for coolant leaks.

A leak in the cooling system is also one of the reasons why a car overheats; the driver should check underneath the car to see if there is a coolant leak. Coolant has a pleasant smell and can be found in places like the hose under the car or the radiator cap.

In particular, this type of solution is not much different from normal water and is not as concentrated as oil. With some coolant brands, this solution can be green, blue, yellow, red…

6. Add water and coolant

When checking and confirming that the coolant is empty, the driver should add more coolant to the vehicle. If there is no spare coolant available, the driver can directly pour in clean water to replace it.

7. In serious cases, call an ambulance immediately.

Start the car to make sure the temperature gauge is no longer in the red. If the gauge still does not change, turn the car off and wait until the gauge returns to normal.

If the overheating does not improve and becomes more severe, call for help. Excessive coolant temperature or overheating of the engine will cause serious engine damage.