Miwa advises motorists about overheat of vehicles
GAUTENG – Tips to save your car from overheating.
The unusual high temperatures this week have prompted Motor Industry Workshop Association (Miwa) to issue a warning about overheating of cars.
Miwa’s chairman Les Mc Master said while it is rare for modern vehicles to overheat in hot weather, the two most common reasons for overheating are low water and coolant levels in the radiator or a leak in the cooling system.
He advises motorists to check the coolant level of their cars.
Mc Master said, “If you aren’t sure where to look for the reservoir, check your owner’s manual. If the level is normal, you might just have a malfunctioning temperature gauge.”
“Refill both the radiator and the reservoir, using coolant or water. This should bring the temperature down once you’re underway, but stay vigilant as you most probably have a serious leak somewhere.”
To prevent overheating, Mc Master advises regularly checking that your car has fresh coolant in its radiator, not just water, and also have the radiator checked for corrosion.
However, he cautions that even a well-tuned car may start to sizzle in hot conditions, particularly, in stop-and-go traffic or when climbing a steep incline.
Mc Master said the first sign that your car is overheating will be your dashboard temperature indicator starting to rise or a malfunction indicator coming on.
The first thing you need to do is shut off the air conditioner and open the windows.
He said this will help lessen the load on the engine and help it cool off.
Mc Master said brake drag also increases the load on the engine making it heat up.
“If you are in traffic, rather crawl along slowly on little more than idle, than move up and brake repeatedly. Or move up only when the gap between you and the vehicle in front of you gets too large,” he adds.
The most serious indication that your car has already overheated is when the needle hits the red zone or you see steam coming from the engine,” he said.
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