Leaving your car in the garage isn’t the only way to prevent your engine from overheating during the hot weather, it just takes some tips and knowledge.

Owning your own car means that, when the weather gets hot, you can take your friends to the beach or your family on a road trip. However, the hot weather matched with driving can easily turn into frustration while you wait for steam to stop pouring from your engine. If you love the idea of driving when it’s hot out but don’t want to find yourself stranded on the side of the road for hours waiting for help to arrive, AMSOIL Dealer-Carol Bell has a great post which can help you to both prevent and manage an overheated engine.

Stop Getting Stuck in Traffic

Easier said than done, right? Usually, the purpose of avoiding traffic is to reduce both your frustration and travel time. However, when the temperatures start to climb, each moment that you are stuck in traffic is a moment which cool air isn’t blowing against your engine and keeping it cool. Before driving on a hot day:

• Look at your route online and identify any areas where you expect to be stopped for extended periods, such as weekend roadwork or weekday traffic, etc. Once you have this information, look for a new route which avoids this traffic. While this may mean that you will be behind the wheel of your car for an additional 15 minutes of smooth and unobstructed, it sure beats 2 hours on the side of the road while you wait for help.
• If possible, consider moving your schedule and errands to the evening when the temperatures are less-intense and traffic has subsided.

Utilize Your Temperature Gauge

Despite what you might think, your temperature gauge is only a guide only and not a guarantee that your engine is about to overheat. For this reason, don’t be like most motorists and simply cross your fingers and toes each time that it starts to climb, and instead look ahead and identify any places you could safely pull over if the need arose, along with any signs that traffic may be moving shortly, bringing cool air flow into your engine. If you can’t see either of these and your temperature gauge is climbing, take the time to pull over before it gets too high while you have a chance. Spending 20 minutes on the side of the road before your engine overheats and simply waiting for the temperature to lower and traffic to alleviate is better than 2 hours on the side of the road looking at steam. Click here to buy AMSOIL's Signature Series 0W-20 Synthetic Motor Oil and keep your engine running smoothly during hot weather with a synthetic oil change. To place an order or for help finding the right products for your vehicle, speak with a friendly professional at AMSOIL Dealer-Carol Bell by calling (512) 658-0357, or check out the online store.

Lower Your Windows

There is no feeling quite like the cool air which flows from your air conditioner on a hot day. It’s almost like driving in a refrigerator. However, just like your refrigerator, your vehicle’s air conditioning unit uses power, which is drawn from your engine which is already struggling under the heat. Instead, choose to lower your windows and allow the natural breeze to cool the cabin by removing hot and stale air as you drive. When adopting this tip, be sure to lower your rear windows also, as this helps to create a smoother flow of air and also reduces the noise which can accompany open-windows while driving.

If It Happens

Of course, there may be a time when you find yourself seeing steam start to pour from your engine. When this happens, the easiest thing to remember is to safely pull over and wait. That’s it. Get yourself out of everybody’s way safely and wait for your engine to cool down. However, it’s worth noting that there are some things which you shouldn’t do while you wait:

• Don’t reach for the radiator or its cap, as they will both be too hot and cause burns. Instead, safely life the hood of your car and wait for your radiator and cap to cool. Not only can these items cause burns, but the hot water inside our radiator will be pressurized, causing it to splash out when the cap is taken off.
• Once you have safely taken off the radiator cap and can see that you require more water and coolant, it’s important to wait a little longer. Pouring cold water into a radiator can cause it to crack, requiring replacement.

Improve Your Engine Performance in Hot Weather with a Synthetic Oil Change in Austin, TX

In addition to the above tips, basic engine maintenance like keeping your fluids up and a regular synthetic oil change are great ways to prevent your engine from overheating. To find out more or to place an order, speak with an expert at AMSOIL Dealer-Carol Bell by calling (512) 658-0357.