Overheating Engine? 4 Possible Causes

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If the temperature gauge in your vehicle is going up or you see smoking coming out from under the hood while driving, your engine might be overheating. It is important that you not ignore overheating, as it could make matters worse. Here are some potential causes for overheating engines so you can troubleshoot it and get the right repairs.

Cooling System Leak

A common reason to have an overheating engine is if the cooling system is leaking. This will cause your antifreeze to leak out, which keeps the level too low, and ultimately causes overheating of the engine. There are many different areas of the cooling system that could be damaged and causing a leak, including the radiator, hoses, heat pump, or freeze plugs. You might also find the leak in the thermostat housing, head gasket, radiator cap, or the transmission oil cooler. If you are putting in fluids on a regular basis, but every time you check the fluids they are empty or close to it, it is probably from some type of leak in the cooling system.

Lack of Oil

While many different fluids can cause overheating in the engine if the level is too low, oil tends to be among the most common. This is why it is so important for you to check your vehicle's oil level on a regular basis. Even if you put in oil a week ago, still check it regularly as this could signal a leak or other issue. Continue checking the oil routinely and make sure you schedule regular oil changes. If the vehicle still overheats after adding more oil, then you know it is due to another reason.

Radiator Issues

A common part of the cooing system to have issues aside from leaks is the radiator. This is often the culprit for overheating engines, instead of being due to the engine itself. If your engine is overheating nearly every time you operate your vehicle, you should have the radiator inspected, at a place like Dean's Auto Repair Inc. It might be due to improper liquid circulation, which is often from the radiator being plugged. This keeps the vehicle from cooling down properly, ultimately leading to overheating.

Broken Thermostat

The thermostat in your vehicle might also be broken and in need of repairs. The thermostat is what controls the temperature of your cooling system, so if it is broken, it might not recognize that your vehicle is warming up. This can keep the cooling system from doing its job, which then leads to overheating. Luckily, it is one of the easier problems to fix.


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