Your Honda’s engine generates heat, which is normal. Combustion, friction, and constantly moving parts in the engine increase the temperature. However, heat must be controlled, or our engine can suffer major damage. If your car is overheating, the cause has to be identified and repaired ASAP. As your Honda dealer, we’d like to tell you some of the reasons you have a car overheating.
Advice From Your Honda Dealer: 3 Reasons for a Car Overheating
1. Worn Radiator Cap
The radiator is the center of your car’s cooling system, where engine heat is exchanged for cooler outside air. The radiator cap is situated on top of the radiator and has two main purposes. The cap is designed to control the pressure in the cooling system and prevent coolant from leaking out. The cap is tightly secured and protected by two seals.
In time, the seals can wear, and coolant can leak. The coolant will quickly dry in the heat of the engine and leave behind tell-tale white streaks on the metal. The leaking coolant will, however, decrease the pressure in the cooling system and increase your engine’s temperature. As coolant drains from your engine, your engine will rapidly start to overheat. We’ll repair the damaged cap and seals to fix this problem.
2. Damaged Radiator Fan
If your engine starts to overheat when your engine is idling, the cause of the problem is most likely a damaged radiator fan. When your car is moving, the coolant absorbs the engine heat and takes it to the radiator. In the radiator, the heat is removed by the constant flow of cool air through the radiator grille. This process is efficient but only works when you’re driving.
When your engine is idling, air movement through the grille is very restricted. To prevent your engine from overheating, a fan at the rear of the radiator will switch on. This fan blows across the radiator tubes from behind and removes the hot air. If the fan fails, engine heat will rapidly build up. We can’t repair the fan, but we can replace the radiator to solve this problem.
3. Broken Water Pump
The coolant that circulates through your engine depends on the water pump. Coolant is released and pumped through the engine when the engine temperature rises. The water pump ensures that the coolant is pumped through the system at high speed. The high speed is important, as coolant needs to maintain the engine temperature.
If the water pump fails, coolant will still be released. The coolant won’t be able to move, and your engine will start to overheat.
We can fix these and any other causes of an overheating engine. Call our service department at DARCARS Honda.
