Three Ways to Avoid Overheating Your Car

Watch Your Temperature Gauge

This may seem like rather elementary advice, but it does warrant a mention because so few drivers actually make a habit of monitoring their truck's engine temperature gauge. Once you've located your truck's temperature gauge, pay attention to what the gauge displays as a normal operating temperature for your engine. If your engine's cooling system is operating properly, you'll find that the temperature should remain fairly stable or at least consistently fall within a certain range. If you see the temperature reading begin to increase rapidly, you may have a problem.

Look for Obvious Leaks

One clear indicator of a problem under the hood (or really anywhere on your vehicle) is the presence of fluid beneath your parked truck. But how do you determine if you're seeing coolant and not some other type of fluid? Typically, it's fairly easy to determine the specific type of fluid your truck is losing based on the fluid color and location of the puddle. To put it in the simplest terms: If you see a puddle of coolant beneath your truck, you have a leak. And if you have a leak, that means you're in danger of running low on (or running out of) engine coolant, which would definitely cause your engine to run hot or even overheat. So, don't delay in getting that leak repaired, or you could end up with a hefty repair bill.

Don't Get Hosed

Again, this falls under the category of "routine maintenance" but it certainly is deserving of additional recognition. Checking hoses and belts is a step that's frequently overlooked or forgotten, despite its simplicity. And this is yet another engine overheating cause that doesn't differ all that much from the way it would be handled in a car. Check the edges of the belts for fraying or wear, and while you're at it, check the tension. If a belt's tension isn't correct, it'll make the alternator work much harder than necessary, as it tries unsuccessfully to transfer power to other components. 







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