Overheated Car: 2 Ways Roadside Assistance Will Try to Help Before They Tow Your Car

When driving in the Australian Outback, it is easy for your car to overheat. When your car overheats, you may find yourself stuck on the side of the road. However, when you call in a roadside recovery company, there are a few simple tricks the contractor can try which may get you back on the road.

Add some water and coolant

If you are properly prepared, you will make an effort to carry additional water and engine coolant in your car. Often, a vehicle's engine will begin to overheat because the water and coolant in the radiator have leaked or evaporated. This causes the radiator to become inefficient and the temperature in the engine to rise to a level at which it can no longer function. If the temperature gauge on the control panel of your car is showing that your engine is overheating, you should let the engine cool down before opening the radiator cap. If you open this cap when the radiator is still hot, you will be blasted with boiling water and steam. Once the radiator has cooled down, you should open this cap and add a mixture of water and coolant fluid. The exact ratio of this mix will be listed in the owner's guide for your vehicle. Ideally, you should use distilled water, as this will prevent corrosion of the radiator. However, in an emergency, any form of water is acceptable to get your car on the road.

Turn off the air conditioning in your car and turn on the heaters

The air con system in your car demands a lot of energy. On very hot days, you may be tempted to turn up the air conditioning system to keep you and your family cool. However, this can place a tremendous strain on the coolant systems within your car as your radiator has to keep both your engine and the interior of your vehicle cool. If you find yourself stranded by the side of the road with your engine overheating, you should switch the air conditioning system off and instead turn on the in-car heating. The heater in your car works by drawing heat from the engine into the interior of the car, so switching on the heaters will help to cool your engine. However, you should ensure that no one stays in the car, as they may become dangerously hot.

If these methods do not manage to cool your engine, you will need to have your car towed to the nearest auto repair shop so that it can undergo repairs.Talk to your roadside assistance service for more information.