If the sight of steam pouring from your radiator makes you cringe, below is a great article which can help.

If there is one thing which all motorists fear, it’s seeing steam pouring from your engine when there isn’t anywhere to pull over, leaving you stranded in the middle of traffic with no way to move.

Does Your Radiator Often Overheat?

However, high temperatures doesn’t have to equal an overheating engine. As temperatures prepare to rise, Synthetic Solutions has some great tips which can help you prepare your engine for the upcoming hot season and prevent overheating.

React to the Temperature Gauge

This one may seem like a strange tip, but if you think back to the last time that you saw your temperature gauge rising, instead of taking action, you and everybody in the car crossed your fingers and legs and hoped upon hope that you would make it to your destination without seeing seeing steam. Believe it or not, there is a better way. When you see the temperature gauge rising, look for a safe space to pull over and wait until traffic or the temperature reduces. Preventing your vehicle from holding up traffic can be as easy as that.

Avoid Traffic

It’s no surprise that getting caught in traffic on a hot day is a great way to overheat your engine. However, there are steps you can take to avoid this.

• Check for alternate routes which involve fewer instances where you are stopped in traffic.
• Consider completing your errands at a different time of the day when both traffic and the temperature are reduced.

If you do find yourself stuck in traffic and your temperature gauge begins to rise, consider shifting into neutral gear and slightly revving the engine. This will cause the fan to spin faster, helping to reduce the temperature of your radiator.

Coolant and Fluids

Of course, if your radiator doesn’t have any coolant or even water running through it then your engine isn’t going to do too well in the heat. Take the time now, before it gets too hot, to check all of the fluids your vehicle utilities, paying particular attention to your coolant and water levels. If you can see that your coolant has reached the end of its lifespan, consider flushing it out and replacing it with new product. Click here to buy Signature Series 0W-20 Synthetic Motor Oil and help prevent your engine from overheating as the temperatures begin to rise. To find out more about how replacing your coolant or performing a synthetic oil change can benefit your vehicle this summer, speak with an expert at Synthetic Solutions by calling (888) 450-2658, or check out the online store.

Resist the A/C

Each time that you engage your air conditioner, a separate motor is called into action which puts additional strain on your engine. When your engine is already being strained by the heat, then using your A/C can be all that’s needed to make a struggling engine stop. When driving during hot weather, consider lowering your windows to allow natural air circulation to keep you feeling cool and push out hot air. In addition to this, if you are still worried about your engine overheating, aim the vents outside of your vehicle and turn on the heat. This can take hot air from your engine and push it through the cabin and out of the car.

What to Do If Your Engine Overheats

The above tips are great ways to prevent your engine from overheating, however, try as you might, there will be times that you find yourself stuck. When this happens, it’s important to remember a few points:

• Once you have stopped, don’t take the cap off the radiator! Not only will the cap be extremely hot, but the pressure inside will explode once the cap is removed, causing serious injury.
• Once your radiator temperature has reduced to a safe temperature to remove the cap, it still may not be cool enough to replace coolant or water. Pouring cold water into a hot radiator can cause it to crack, which means that you won’t be driving any time soon. Instead, wait until your engine has completely cooled.

The Benefits of a Synthetic Oil Change in Wendell

Basic engine maintenance is the best way to prevent your engine from overheating, which includes keeping your coolant topped up and giving your vehicle a regular synthetic oil change. To find out more or for help placing an order, speak with a friendly professional at Synthetic Solutions by calling (888) 450-2658.