Car Overheating Problems: 5 Things that Cause an Engine To Overheat by Byers Airport Subaru

Modern cars almost never overheat, and that’s because the liquid engine cooling systems on modern cars is designed to keep the engine operating at a safe temperature no matter what the circumstances are outside. If this system fails, the engine could overheat and subsequently damage itself severely! If there is a fault in your car’s cooling system, let us check it out at the Byers Airport Subaru service department.

There are all sorts of things that might cause a car’s engine to overheat. On this page, we’ll go over five of the most common causes.

5. Low Coolant Level / Coolant Leak
Because engines generate so much heat, modern engines are kept cool with the help of a liquid cooling system. Without enough coolant flowing through the system, the system won’t be able to dissipate heat the way it should.

The system is totally enclosed, meaning coolant should not leak or evaporate out of the system. However, if the radiator springs a leak, or a coolant hose is ruptured, coolant could seep out of the system, reducing cooling performance and allowing the engine to overheat. To get this fixed, you’ll need to have the leak patched and the entire cooling system filled with the correct amount of coolant once again.

4. Faulty Cooling Fans
Once coolant absorbs heat from the engine, it flows to the radiator where it’s cooled down by exchanging heat with the air outside. The more air flows over the radiator, the better the cooling system performs. That’s why your car is equipped with radiator fans — so, even when you’re waiting at a stop light or sitting in traffic, air is blown across the radiator, dissipating heat and keeping the engine cool. It’s not uncommon for the fan motors to burn out and need replacing, so stop by our service center if your car has been overheating when idling or sitting in stop-and-go traffic.

3. Bad Thermostat
Engines are happiest when they run nice and warm, but not too hot. When you start your car up in the morning, the cold engine needs to warm up a bit. The thermostat stays closed until the engine reaches the ideal temperature. Then, it opens up, allowing coolant to flow and keep the engine at a safe temperature.

If your thermostat goes bad, it can get stuck closed, and prevent coolant from flowing through the system at all. This can rapidly lead to overheating, but, luckily, it’s a fast and easy fix that involves replacing a single, small part.

2. Blown Head Gasket
Coolant flows through the engine’s coolant channels, oil flows through the oil galleries and gasoline mixes with air in the cylinders — and it’s important that all of these gasses and fluids stay separated in their designated compartments in the engine. The head gasket is an important seal that keeps all these components separated.

If the head gasket starts to leak (better known as a blown head gasket), these can all potentially mix together, and cause all sorts of problems. For example, if the gasket blows between a combustion chamber and the coolant channel, the engine can start to burn up coolant. This will cause the engine to overheat once enough coolant has been taken out of the system and burned up inside the engine.

A blown head gasket is a severe problem that will need to be fixed in order to ensure your car is safe to drive, so stop by our service center as soon as possible if you suspect the head gasket has blown on your car.

1. New Radiator Cap
You probably already know that a blown head gasket is a costly repair, but, luckily, one of the most common cooling system issues is a cheap part that’s quickly and easily replaced: the radiator cap.

The cooling system is a pressurized system, and the radiator cap allows the system to remain pressurized to a safe level. If the pressure in the system grows too high, the radiator cap is designed to vent coolant into the expansion tank so the excess pressure is dissipated safely.

If the system isn’t able to maintain the right pressure, the radiator cap may have been damaged. Installing a new one is a fast, easy fix for many engine overheating woes! Stop by the Byers Airport Subaru service center to have our talented technicians get to the bottom of your engine’s cooling problem.