Car overheating check engine light

Shut off the engine as soon as possible. My car has an automatic transmission. If we have the radiator and the - Answered by a verified Nissan Mechanic We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. They said the motor on my fan had gone bad and that they were going to put in a new thermostat. Consumer Reports tells you what the check engine light means and what you should do when you see it.

Learn how to determine whether your car has a loose gas cap—or a serious engine problem. If the engine temperature warning system, either by gauge, light , or message, signals that the engine is overheating , turn the cabin heater to the maximum heat range and set the blower motor to high. The engine coolant is overheating if it’s around 2to 2degrees.

It means your engine is beginning to overheat. In addition to the check engine light, you might also see some other type of warning on the dashboar such as a red temperature gauge or maybe the words “engine hot. There are plenty of factors outside of the external temperature, however, that can contribute to your car’s risk of overheating, and most of them are preventable if you know what to look for. Keep an eye on your check engine light, and before you hit the road for a summer road trip, give your car a complete checkup.

This is a potentially severe problem, so look for the warning signs, reduce your spee and attempt to reduce your engine temperature by turning on the heat as a release. If you must add water when the engine is still a little warm, add the water slowly while the engine is running in Neutral or Park. Always be safe when working on your automobile.

Although hot weather is the most common cause of overheating , many other factors can cause the same. In some cases, your engine may be running fine and the overheating problem only occurs on extended drives or long waits in traffic. If this is the case with your car or truck, check on the following possible issues.

Then, pop the hood and get out of the car to open the hood as much as possible to disperse the heat. What Causes a Car to Overheat? Does my car have a cooling system? If the check engine light comes on: Look for a serious problem that requires immediate attention.

These conditions mean you should pull over and shut off the engine as soon as you can find a safe place to do so. Try tightening your gas cap. Schedule Overheating Car Repair.

If you believe that your engine is overheating , don’t try to check the coolant level or open the cooling system because it will be under pressure and you can get burned with coolant. Let your engine cool down before you check for an issue. Look for obvious indicators in addition to the check engine light that may provide more information. Is the engine behaving strangely? In all of these situations, pull over as soon as it’s safe and turn the engine off.

If your car is overheating , it can be very serious. Your car may not immediately explode or anything like that, but driving with an overheating engine can cause serious damage to your vehicle. Broken water pump could be another reason of engine overheating. Here are three common signals for car overheating to check out: 1. Also, if your car is running hot, the heat can thin the oil, causing the oil light to come on. I’d have thought an overheating engine would thicken the oil, not thin it.

That’s why the oil specs are for example, 10W-30. Once the engine has coole check the coolant tank. There is a reason it was low on coolant because of a leak or because of the overheating caused a boil over. You need to have our car scanned for codes auto zone does it for free or other auto parts. How to know if your engine is overheating.

Today, we look at some common reasons why you car overheats, and how you can fix the problem before it turns into a major bill. Overheating can cause a variety of car problems, so whenever you pull over due to engine trouble, check underneath the car for a puddle of coolant after a few minutes. Also look for a puddle of coolant whenever you get into the car , so you can catch a leak before it causes your car to overheat on the road.

In all likelihoo you car was stalling while it was overheating. When an engine stalls or is about to stall, the oil light comes on because the oil pressure is dropping. Go with Oblivion’s and VDC’s advice.

Don’t drive it and get it checked out.

No offense intended but this one is over your head. As far as the thermostat, it can cause overheating – however, by itself it would not cause coolant loss. If you allow it to continue for too long, your engine can suffer permanent damage. To avoid this, pull over and shut the engine down as soon as possible.

Engine overheating can be dangerous. Sometimes the problem is the oxygen sensor. Today’s vehicles are for the most part completely electronically controlled. If you sense the power in your engine is lacking, pay close attention to odd smells or noises that can corroborate engine overheating.

It has no real bearing on how the engine performs, or whether the car overheats. Things to look for with overheating.

Car over heating and check light on. If the problem is caught quickly you can save the. DescriptionThis question was asked on the AskDAP Show Episode 1. An overheating engine is never a good thing to have happen. My VW coolant light is blinking in the morning but there is plenty of coolant in the car , and it isnt overheating.

Runs rough in idle and sometimes on highway Twice blew white smoke out exhaust, but other times was normal. Thanks for your question about your Grand Am. It sounds like you’ve got a coolant leak causing the smoke and a low coolant level which is causing some overheating. When your car is col check around the engine to see if you can figure out where the leak is so you can decide how to fix it.

If a hose is cracked or leaking, simply replace that. Check engine light comes on at times. MIL on a running engine indicating malfunction in engine control system.

A malfunction indicator lamp ( MIL ), or check engine light , is a tell-tale that a computerized engine -management system uses to indicate a malfunction.