Greenville Auto Repair

Cooling System Service and Repair in Greenville, SC

Is your car overheating? Do you notice steam, or white smoke, coming from under the hood? Is the temperature gauge on the dashboard showing hot, or is it in the red? Do you smell a “sweet” smell coming from the engine area? These can all be indicators that your vehicle has a cooling problem.

Driving a vehicle with an overheated engine can cause serious, if not permanent damage. Engines can overheat for many reasons. Oftentimes, the cause of an engine overheating is a loss of antifreeze, or a malfunction within the cooling system causing heat to not be able to escape the engine compartment properly. There are many reasons this could be happening including a faulty radiator fan, cooling system leak, broken water pump, or clogged coolant hose.

As soon as you notice your car is leaking coolant / antifreeze, or you notice the engine overheating, take the following steps and contact us.

What to Do When Your Engine Overheats

1. Turn off the A/C and turn the heat on high. This can help pull heat away from the engine to keep it from overheating until you can pull over in a safe location. You may get a little hot yourself, but a few minutes of discomfort is a small price to pay compared to major engine repair.
2. Find a safe place to pull over and turn off the car. Allow the engine to cool for at least 15 minutes. Keep an eye on the temperature gauge, as it should move back to a normal range as the engine cools. During this time, we recommend calling us, and we will get a tow truck out to your location right away.
3. We recommend having your vehicle towed, however if your car isn’t being towed, wait until the vehicle cools down, check to see if it needs coolant, then carefully restart your engine and bring it in for a diagnostic. Keep an eye on the temperature gauge as you drive. If it rises again, pull back over and let the system cool. Keep in mind that driving while the engine is hot has the potential to do major damage to the vehicle.

Your overheating problems will not go away over time. The best way to prevent your vehicle from overheating is to keep your coolant full and clean, and replace your thermostat and hoses every 6 years/ 100,000 miles.