Call Collins Auto Care right away if your car, truck, or utility vehicle runs too hot every time that you drive it. If you continue to operate the automobile when it is overheating, you could cause severe engine damage. Specifically, common problems that occur include a cracked cylinder block, a cracked exhaust manifold gasket, or a blown head gasket. All of these problems are caused by excess heat. Speaking of problems, let’s talk about the reasons why your car is overheating all the time below.
Malfunctioning Water Pump
If your vehicle has 100,000 miles on the odometer, it’s possible that the water pump needs to be replaced. The factory pump is designed to last about 100,000 miles or 10 years. After this time, the pump may malfunction and no longer be able to circulate the coolant through the engine.
Malfunctioning Thermostat
Naturally, poor coolant circulation is going to cause your engine to overheat. A malfunctioning thermostat will also cause your engine to overheat because it will fail to release the coolant into the engine so that the water pump can circulate it. The thermostat also lasts about 100,000 miles.
Malfunctioning Cooling Fan
Your engine could also be overheating all the time because the cooling fan is no longer working. This is a fan that blows over the radiator to help it cool off the hot coolant. Sometimes, the cooling fan will die on its own or there may be an electrical problem that is preventing the cooling fan from working.
Damaged/Clogged Radiator
Aside from the cooling fan, the radiator also utilizes air inlets to draw air over the hot coolant. Because the radiator is located behind the grille, the inlets can get clogged with dirt. In addition, an older radiator can get clogged with corrosion and the bottom of it may rust out and cause the coolant to leak.
Clogged Cooling System
You can also end up with clogs in the cooling system that prevents the circulation of the engine coolant. For example, the radiator hoses can be clogged by dirt and sediment. To prevent this from happening, make sure to schedule a cooling system service every 30,000 miles with us.
Leaking Cooling System
Finally, aside from an old radiator leaking, your cooling system can leak out of the overflow reservoir, the radiator hoses, and the system seals and gaskets. When this happens, the coolant level in the engine gets too low and the engine overheats every time you drive your automobile.
Call Collins Auto Care in Houston, TX, today if your vehicle is having an overheating problem.
