OVERHEATING CAR DAMAGE-WHAT CAN HAPPEN? Today, cars need only 30 to 60 seconds to run before they are ready to drive. Frequent checks of your fluids should help catch this problem before serious damage occurs. The most common culprit is low coolant in the engine, says Molla, so a good defense is regular vehicle maintenance. © 2015 All rights reserved. The other day my car wouldn't start and it's not untill now I know why. The longer your car is allowed to overheat, the worse the damage gets. “You can do a quick visual check of your coolant by looking at the plastic tank under the hood,” Molla says. Assuming I take care of the car - regular oil change, coolant check etc and only considering the mechanical well-being of the car, how long can I drive the car at a time - 200 miles, 300 miles, 500 miles, without causing any damage to the car? or anything else? We hunted down car cooling system designers to find out what happens when cars overheat (it's not pretty) and what you can do to help prevent a breakdown. As I mentioned before, I only drove about a minute while it was overheating. How long do I have to repair my car after an accident? Before you top up the coolant, check the user manual to find out what type of coolant you need. & No head gasket issues for me, or any other issues once fixed. I have a Mini Cooper S (05). Please assist Car engines are designed to operate around 210 degrees Fahrenheit (99 degrees Celsius). These are the top 6 mistakes drivers make that can ruin your transmission. As mentioned above, classic cars, built before liquid cooling systems came into play, can sometimes overheat during the summer months. googletag.defineSlot('/1027394/forums_sidebar_halfpage', [300, 600], 'div-gpt-ad-adHalfPage').addService(googletag.pubads()); Excessive heat can cause your engine to overheat, halting those vacation plans and landing your vehicle in the repair shop. So I hit the motorway and the temp gauge was cycling up to 'hot' then dropping down to normal, then hot again, every few miles. Insurance claims can take a long time for companies to process internally. If you're worried it's already comprised, drain the oil. isn't an easy question to answer, mainly because a child should never be left in a hot car. googletag.pubads().setTargeting("forum_title", "The Padded Room"); What happens is that when I’m stopped in traffic, the temperature gauge creeps up. Well of course. 'https:' : 'http:') + /r/Cars is the largest automotive enthusiast community on the Internet. Should I be concerned? If your car’s cooling systems aren’t functioning correctly, it can lead to serious damage to your engine and expensive repairs. But first, you’ve got to notice the symptoms of overheating, which can include: Steam (which can look like smoke) coming from under the car hood. googletag.pubads().setTargeting("nsfw", "yes"); Id say if you don't see anything, then fill it back up with oil, fix it and start it up. High-quality sump pumps can run for 20-24 hours straight, low-quality sump pumps can … If you don’t have a pre-mixed coolant solution, combine a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water, then refill to the correct level. }); There are plenty of factors outside of the external temperature, however, that can contribute to your car’s risk of overheating, and most of them are preventable if you know what to look for. If you’re able to take steps to cool your engine before it overheats to the point of failing, you may reduce the risk of irreversible engine damage. Don’t wait for the temperature warning light to come on. How rental companies prove damage. I'd say it's most likely fine. Hot temperatures alone might not be causing your vehicle to overheat. Especially bad driving habits that we have been doing for a long time. Overheating can completely damage your engine in just little of time if you do not stop immediately. //--> However, these parts still cost less than paying for the damage a hot-running engine can cause. Here's how long it would take a car to overheat, according to a new study. Got it home fine, put it into the shop for a new radiator, and that thing was just fine. A leak or a faulty bearing can cause serious damage to your car's engine. Engine runs fine but gets very hot shortly after you start it. Either way, it's a mess, and the engine will eventually overheat. It depends on the quality of the sump pump, and the amount of water that comes in your sump pit. Even if you're a minute away. Possible Hot Engine Damage. googletag.pubads().setTargeting("forum_id", "7"); An older American V8 with iron block and heads can survive it surprisingly well. I was driving home from work and the tensioner pulley broke off. Once the car is cool, attempt to identify the leak and repair it if possible. Like /u/styres said, check the oil for coolant (you can also just look at the oil fill cap) and look around the engine and see if there is any moisture from leaking fluids. Manually release it proper repair can be very challenging against the rental company ’ s to! Overheat, halting those vacation plans and landing your vehicle in the long run low amount of time cause... Pictures of all those damages before you drove away or deterioration has not been running for too long which only. Things that can cause your engine heats up car engine naturally gets hot if it 's mess. Where a proper repair how long can a car overheat before damage be on the quality of the sump pump, thermostat and. 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