Interested in Automotive Training Online? Here’s How to Stop a Car from Overheating
Overheating is a serious problem faced by cars, and can result in severe damage to many different components, such as the engine block or cylinder head. Even making an overheated engine power a car for a few minutes can stress it enough to damage it.
Drivers can monitor how hot their vehicle is getting quite easily through its temperature gauge, but they shouldn’t wait until a car begins overheating to start trying to cool it down. In fact, it’s far more beneficial to practice good preventive measures to make sure it isn’t at risk of overheating in the first place.
If you’re interested in studying to become a mechanic, there are several smart tips to prevent overheating that you can relay to your clients. Read on to find out how they can nip these issues in the bud before they become serious.
Protect the Car from the Sun
The simplest way to prevent a car from overheating is to protect it from the sun. We might like basking in bright rays, but our vehicles are fonder of shadier environments. Drivers should try not to leave cars sitting in direct sunlight, and find a cooler, darker spot if possible.
It might be impossible to avoid the sun completely, but there are other ways to keep cars from being roasted. Leaving windows slightly open will allow air flow to cool the car a bit. Additionally, using window shades or tinted windows can help shut out some rays.
Be Mindful of the Braking System
If you study how braking systems work in online automotive school, you may learn that when brake pads squeeze the rotor to stop the car, they convert the energy of the turning wheel into heat. Most disc brakes are dotted with vanes that enable air to flow through the brake and cool it down. However, if the engine is already hot, the added heat might push it over the edge.
To prevent overheating, drivers should be mindful of the heat that the braking system generates. Impatience with a traffic jam might make a person want to constantly speed up and then slam on the brake, but this isn’t a good idea, especially on a hot summer’s day.
Make Sure the Engine Coolant is Sufficiently Filled
The importance of engine coolant cannot be overstated. When an engine is powered up, only one third of the energy it’s producing goes towards moving the vehicle. Another third of it is heat that’s pushed out through the exhaust system. The last third is removed by the engine coolant. Without the coolant, the heat generated by the engine would be too much for it to handle, resulting in overheating.
Engine coolant levels need to be carefully monitored to ensure that there’s enough to protect the engine. A diligent driver should also make sure that there aren’t any leaks, blockages, or pump malfunctions within the coolant system, and that the coolant hasn’t frozen due to cold temperatures.
Students considering pursuing auto careers online might be interested to learn that even if a driver is taking good care of the coolant system, it eventually gets dirty and needs to be maintained by a mechanic. A radiator flush should be performed periodically—usually every 40,000 miles, but this is dependent on the car model.
Students in Online Automotive School Know How Important Battery Care Is
A battery with insufficient power will cause the engine to strain to pull out enough. This can cause or worsen an overheating problem. Additionally, batteries are vulnerable to extreme temperatures. Intense heat can speed up corrosion and evaporate water from the liquid electrolyte, putting even more strain on the battery.
To guard against the vicious cycle between battery strain and overheating, drivers should make sure that the battery system is in good shape. Batteries older than three years old should be checked yearly, and the electrical connections should be monitored to make sure they’re properly tightened and in place.
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