Preventing an engine from overheating doesn’t mean leaving it in your garage during hot days, it just means knowing some tips and tricks to prevent and manage the situation.

There is nothing quite like piling your friends or family into your car and making a journey to the beach or a road trip adventure when the sun starts to heat up. Unfortunately, during how the weather is also when you will see many cars on the side of the road with steam pouring from their engine. If this sounds like a situation you have been in before and want to avoid it from happening again, or even in the first place, Ken Reaser Enterprises has prepared a great post with tips on how to prevent your engine from overheating, along with some information about what to do if it happens.

Minimize Your Stops

Driving in the heat isn’t the big problem, it’s being stopped in the heat. When you are driving, not only does your fan belt help to keep your radiator and engine cool, but the natural flow of air goes a very long way towards keeping your engine’s temperature at bay. Before driving in the heat, consider these tips:

• Use an online map website to determine any traffic congestion or closed roads which will see you stopped in traffic for an extended period, and plan a new route which avoids these places. Remember, that an extra 10 minutes of smooth driving is better than hours on the side of the road waiting for help to arrive.
• If you can, consider moving your schedule and errands to the evening, when the temperatures have lowered and there is less congestion on the road.

If you do find yourself stopped in congestion and your temperature gauge is starting to rise, consider shifting your car into neutral and slightly revving the engine. This will get the fan moving and provide a short reprieve for your engine.

On the Subject of Temperature Gauges

Many motorists think that their temperature gauge is telling them what will happen, no matter what. This leads motorists to simply sit there with their fingers and toes crossed, hoping that it lowers. Instead, if you are stopped in traffic and can see that your engine temperature is rising, look ahead and identify if traffic will be moving again soon or if there is a place up ahead for you to safely pull over if you need to. If you can’t see either of these things, then consider pulling over now, while it’s safe and before your temperature rises too high. Spending 20 minutes on the ride of the road waiting for traffic to alleviate and your engine to cool down can save you hours of watching steam pour from your engine while you wait for help to arrive. Click here to buy  Signature Series 0W-20 Synthetic Motor Oil and keep your engine running smoothly during hot weather with a synthetic oil change. To learn more or to place an order, speak with a friendly professional at Ken Reaser Enterprises by calling (321) 230-6958, or check out the online store for more information.

Windows Instead of Air Conditioning

This isn’t going to be a tip which you will like very much, however, it is the one which has the most potential for preventing your engine from overheating. The tip is to resist the urge to use your air conditioner when it gets hot out. Each time that you switch on your air conditioner, a separate motor is engaged which relies on the power of your already-struggling engine, greatly increasing the risk of your engine overheating. Instead, lower your windows, including the rear windows, and allow the natural flow of air to cool your cabin and to remove the hot and slate air from your vehicle. If your engine still struggles, crank up the heat and direct the vents out of the open window, to take some of the hot air away from your engine.

An Overheating Engine

Of course, there will be times when an overheated engine can’t be prevented and will occur. If this happens to you, the most important thing to remember is that you can’t do anything to help. You just need to pull over safely and wait for your engine to cool down. However, during this time, there are some things which you should avoid doing:

• The radiator and its cap will be extremely hot, so avoid touching it as soon as you pull over. Instead, safely raise the hood of your car and wait, using visual cues to determine when it is safe to touch. Not only can the heat from these items cause burns, but the hot water pressurizes inside can explode once the cap is removed.
• Once you have safely removed the radiator cap, you will likely notice that you need more water and coolant. Instead of pouring it straight in, wait a little longer for your radiator to cool even further. Pouring cold water into a hot radiator can cause it to crack, which means a replacement radiator will be needed.

A Synthetic Oil Change in Apopka Can Keep Your Engine Running Smooth

These tips are great to help you prevent an engine from overheating and go hand-in-hand with basic engine maintenance, like a regular synthetic oil change. To learn more about the benefits or to place an order, speak with a friendly professional at Ken Reaser Enterprises by calling (321) 230-6958. ;