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

1. Pull over to the side of the road as soon as possible.

An overheated car engine is bad for your car; if this happens for too long, your 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, steam coming out of the engine is also a sign that the car engine is boiling water... 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 fan - this will help the engine release heat.

2. Open the hood when steam stops coming out.

The radiator is boiling, causing steam to come out of the engine. The driver should not open the hood immediately because it is easy to burn his hands. Waiting for the hood to cool can take 30 to 45 minutes, but it will help the driver stay 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 (squeezing 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 hold the hose. Avoid holding 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 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 vehicle for coolant leaks. Coolant is typically odorless and can be found in places like the hose under the vehicle 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, etc.

6. Add water and coolant

When checking and confirming that the coolant is empty, the driver should add more coolant to the vehicle. If no spare coolant is prepared, 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 subside and becomes more severe, call for help. Excessively high coolant temperature or overheating of the engine will cause serious engine damage.