For many motorists, their worst-case scenario is getting stuck on the side of the road with steam coming from their engine. If this sounds like you, this article can help.

One of the many benefits to owning your own vehicle is taking your family and friends for a road trip or to the beach when the sun comes out. Unfortunately, hot weather also sees a large number of motorists stopped along the way before they have had a chance to get very far, all thanks to an overheated engine. If you have seen this before or, even worse, been that person stranded, below is a great article from Vaughan Distributing which can help you to both prevent and manage an overheated engine.

Consider Your Temperature Gauge

Many motorists believe that their temperature gauge is showing them that will happen, and not what can happen. However, in reality, your temperature gauge can be used as a prevention tool. If you are in slow moving traffic and you can see that your temperature gauge is starting to climb, consider your surroundings and what is ahead. If you can see that you won’t have space to pull over safely if your engine overheats, look for a place to pull over now and wait for traffic to flow again before your engine becomes overheated.

Change Your Route

A car stuck in traffic and a scorching hot day is a sure-fire way to overheat your engine. Keeping this in mind, consider these points:

• If you know that the temperatures are going to climb throughout the day, look online for a route which involves less congested traffic and roadworks. This could mean driving an extra 10 minutes but can save 40 minutes while you wait on the side of the road for your engine to cool down.
• Consider completing your errands early in the morning or during the evening when temperatures are lower and there is less traffic.

If you are in traffic and you can’t see a space to pull over, shifting into neutral and slightly revving your engine can temporarily relieve your engine by generating airflow from the fan spinning. Click here to buy Signature Series 0W-20 Synthetic Motor Oil and drive longer on hot days without worry of your engine overheating. To find out more about how this and a synthetic oil change can improve engine performance during hot weather and to place an order, chat with a friendly expert at Vaughan Distributing or check out the online store.

Good-Bye A/C

This won’t be your favorite tip, but it is likely to be the one which helps you the most. Each time that you switch on your air conditioner, you activate a separate motor which draws its energy from your engine. This puts additional strain on an already-struggling engine, leading to a very fast overheating situation. Instead of using your air conditioner, consider lowering your windows and allowing the natural air flow to cool you and your passengers as fresh air is introduced and stale air is pushed out. If you want to further take some strain from your engine, open your heater and point your vents to the open windows to draw heat away from the engine.

What Happens Is Your Engine Does Overheat?

If you have tried your best but your engine overheated anyway, there isn’t much that you can do apart from safely pull over and wait for your engine to cool down. However, there are some things which you shouldn’t do:

• Resist touching the radiator cap! Instead, just wait it out. The radiator and cap will be extremely hot and can cause serious burns. The same goes for the pressurized hot water inside which will immediately release as soon as you remove a hot radiator cap.
• Once you have safely removed the cap, don’t rush to fill up the radiator with cold water. Instead, wait for a little extra until it cools down further, as pouring cold water into a hot radiator can cause it to crack, leaving you with the need for a replacement.

Basic Maintenance like a Synthetic Oil Change Can Help Your Car Perform in Hot Weather

In addition to keeping your coolant and fluid levels topped up, basic engine maintenance like a synthetic oil change help your engine to operate smoothly, reducing its operating temperature and the likelihood of overheating. To find out more or to place an order, speak with a friendly expert at Vaughan Distributing. More than just your vehicle,Vaughan Distributing has a range of product available to improve the performance of your lawnmower, boat, and even your ATV.