Reasons why a vehicle engine overheats
The cooling system is responsible for maintaining the engine temperature within the optimal values for its operation.. There are several reasons why it may stop working correctly with the consequent engine overheating. Below we detail the most common:
Clogged radiator
Engine overheating could be caused by clogging of the internal radiator circuit. Rust and impurities cause coolant to not circulate properly through the radiator and the rest of the cooling passages.. Thus It is advisable to use a cleaner once every two years, after what you have to drain antifreeze from the cooling circuit and then fill it again.
Loss of coolant
Another cause could be loss of coolant due to a leak in the radiator, the hoses or the water pump. It must be taken into account that the latter is the heart of the entire cooling system., since it is responsible for moving the coolant throughout the circuit.
Coolant loss could also be caused by that a radiator cap is in poor condition. In this case, It would not withstand the pressure of the radiator and the coolant would leak out, causing engine overheating.
To solve it, we recommend that you take it to a workshop.. However, if you need to get out of trouble, There are some remedies you can do yourself if your car loses antifreeze, with the help of a few simple tools.
Electric fan in poor condition
Another part of the cooling system that should be checked is the electric radiator fan. Its function is to pass air from outside the vehicle through the radiator and thus dissipate heat from the engine.. It usually works when the car is moving at low speed or when it is stopped. so that it does not exceed the appropriate temperature for operation (which is usually around 90º).
One of the situations in which you have to work the most is traffic jams.. The car has to start and stop constantly without air flow to cool it. Besides, even if the speeds are high, It can also work to support the incoming air, if the car is subjected to intensive use.
Dirty radiator
The fan may work properly but the radiator is dirty. This can happen when you have driven through very muddy areas., arena, leaves or any other element that can clog it enough so that air does not circulate through it.
to clean it, You have to remove everything that covers it and use a brush and soap, and then rinse it with pressurized water making sure that there are no remains.. This is something that happens much more frequently to off-road vehicles or SUVs that usually move through the countryside..
Thermostat in poor condition
And thermostat in bad condition It can also cause the engine to overheat.. It is a part that opens and closes the flow of coolant between the engine and the radiator.. Opens when the engine is hot, for the radiator to start cooling, and stays closed when the engine is cold, so it can heat up quickly, without the radiator extracting heat prematurely.
And thermostat gets stuck when closed, the liquid will never reach the radiator. This causes the temperature to continue to increase as the engine runs., without the cooling system being able to do its job.
The opposite can also happen: that when the thermostat stops working it stays open. In this case, The consequence is that the engine takes a long time to warm up to its optimal operating temperature.. The consequences of this breakdown are the early wear of its parts and increased fuel consumption..
In any case, If the thermostat does not work correctly, it must be replaced, don't delete it. If this part is removed because it does not allow the engine to cool, the liquid will move completely freely (even greater than if it is stuck in the open position), so you can create bigger problems than you want to solve..
Coolant
Finally, we have the coolant or antifreeze itself. This fluid can withstand high and low temperatures. For it to do its job correctly, water should not be used instead., since it would facilitate the appearance of rust in the cooling system, favoring many of the aforementioned breakdowns..
They sell it already prepared directly for little money. But the coolant could be a mixture of 50% of distilled water and 50% pure antifreeze. It is advisable to renew it every 2 o 4 years and in a trusted workshop you can ensure that it is replaced correctly. However, can change antifreeze of the car yourself if you have the necessary tools.
The cooling system It is responsible for controlling the engine temperature, There are several reasons why a motor recaliente Among them we have the following.
- Engine overheating It could be a clogged radiator., This would cause the coolant to not circulate properly.. Therefore, it is advisable to use a cleaner once a year.. You could also find a radiator cap in poor condition., It would not withstand the pressure exerted on the radiator, this would cause loss of coolant and consequently overheating of the engine..
- Another cause could be coolant loss, this is due to leaks in the radiator, in hoses, In the water pump, it should be noted that this is the heart of the entire cooling system since it is responsible for circulating the coolant liquid..
- It must also be check electric fan of the radiator, Its function is to pass air from outside the vehicle through the radiator and thus dissipate its heat..
- And thermostat in bad condition, clogged by rust, which means that the coolant cannot reach the radiator to be cooled by the fan, resulting in overheating.. This part must be changed since dispensing with it would bring other problems such as fuel consumption since the engine would work relatively cold..
- Lastly we have the coolant. This liquid can withstand high and low temperatures; Water should not be used in the engine as it would facilitate the appearance of rust in the cooling system.. The coolant could be an antifreeze that should be used in a proportion of 50% of water and 50% of antifreeze.
Last price update on 2026-08-16 at 23:17 Fuente: Amazon Affiliates
