January 16, 2023
Don’t Make Matters Worse!
Photo by Harrison Haines under Pexels License
Is steam coming from under your hood? Do you smell an unusual odor coming from your engine area? Is the engine temperature gauge on your dashboard spiking into the red or the “H” area? If you answered three resounding “yeses!”, your engine is overheating.
Car engines can overheat for various reasons. However, it’s almost always due to a problem with the cooling system. If you’re stuck somewhere with an overheating car, the source of the issue could be a faulty radiator fan, a leak in the cooling system, a clogged coolant hose, or a broken water pump. Regardless of the cause, you shouldn’t do anything to make matters worse.
Mistakes to Avoid When Your Car Engine Overheats
- Panicking
Panicking won’t get you anywhere. Don’t slam on your brakes when pulling off the road or carelessly swerve through traffic. Try to keep your cool when your engine overheats. Calmly pull over to a safe location and turn off your vehicle.
- Staying on the road
While it’s normal to feel stressed when your car overheats, you wouldn’t want to keep driving to your destination, hoping your engine won’t quit on you. The longer you keep your overheating engine running, the more damage it will cause to your vehicle. If you want to avoid costly repairs, don’t push your engine too far.
- Opening the hood Immediately
As soon as you’ve pulled over, resist the urge to pop the hood immediately. You’ll want to wait for your engine temperature gauge to settle before opening the hood to check things out. Otherwise, you’ll put yourself at risk of burns from spewing steam or smoke billowing out from your car. Waiting for the car to cool before popping the hood also prevents extensive damage to your vehicle’s sensitive components.
- Adding water to your radiator
Don’t even think of adding water to your car’s radiator while it’s overheating. Doing so will dilute your coolant and permanently damage your engine. It’s best to check your car owner’s manual for specific instructions on what you should do with an overheating car.
- Ignoring the issue
Adding a little coolant won’t fix an overheating engine. Call a trusted mechanic to get to the root of the problem and save your engine.
For more on this issue, check out this blog: What to Do If Your Car Overheats
Tired of Keeping an Old Vehicle?
If overheating has badly damaged your engine and repairing it will put a huge dent in your bank account, perhaps you can chalk it up as just another lesson learned. Don’t commit another mistake by spending a fortune on a patch-up job, which you may only regret later on after your repaired engine suffers another malfunction.
You’ll have peace of mind and a heart bursting with pride if you simply donate that vehicle to us at Veteran Car Donations. We’ll use your donation to improve the living conditions of the struggling underprivileged veterans in your local area.
Our team will have your vehicle fixed the best way we can before selling it through an auction. We’ll then use the proceeds to support the life-enhancement programs for veterans of our charity partners. These IRS-approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations are dedicated to helping veterans who are suffering from homelessness, chronic unemployment, disabilities, and serious illnesses, including mental health conditions.
They use the funding we give them to provide deserving veterans with housing and financial assistance, employment and livelihood opportunities, family support, free quality health care and medical treatment, psychotherapy services, and many other services meant to uplift their lives.
As a donor, you’ll have the privilege of enjoying a fast and free towing service, which we offer our donors anywhere in the United States. Plus, your donation will entitle you to claim the highest possible tax deduction in the next tax season.
Best of all, you’ll have the most satisfying donating experience, knowing that you’re giving back to the brave men and women who risked their lives to protect ours and ensure our liberties, too.
Since we accept nearly all types of vehicle donations, we’ll gladly take your car, truck, van, RV, or boat regardless of its age or condition.
To learn more about our vehicle donation program, including our quick and easy donation process, feel free to visit our FAQs page. For inquiries or concerns, reach out to us anytime through our toll-free hotline at 877-594-5822 or write to us here.
Make Life Better for Our Struggling Heroes Today!
Photo by RDNE Stock project under Pexels License
You can help struggling veterans take their life back with your vehicle donation. Make a difference in their lives today! Call Veteran Car Donations at 877-594-5822 or fill out our secure online donation form now!
Last Updated: August 23rd, 2023