When the water temperature or heat of a car gets too high, the engine can stop functioning properly and serious, permanent damage can be done to it. To avoid this from happening, a proper water temperature must be maintained at all times under every type of driving condition.

Cars can be either water-cooled or air-cooled. But the vast majority of vehicles are water-cooled. The method used to keep a car’s engine properly cooled is to fill the car’s radiator with a mixture of water and coolant/antifreeze. All water-cooled cars are engineered and designed to function most efficiently and have the most longevity and performance capacity by maintaining a consistent water temperature. If the water heat gets too high, all of the steel, iron or aluminum internal engine parts will either seize up or literally melt.This would include destruction of such parts as the crankshaft, pistons, connecting rods, cylinders, and valves, among other items.

To prevent this from happening, car owners have to follow their car manufacturer’s recommended instructions on how much water and coolant/antifreeze mixture to keep filled inside their radiators. The radiator is the major part of the car’s cooling system. It’s usually located at the front of a car, right in front of the engine itself, unless its a rear engine car, such as some Porsches. In that case, the radiator is located in the rear engine compartment.Connected to the radiator are thick, rubber cooling hoses and a thermostat that directly leads to the inside of the engine itself. When water temperature gets too high, the car’s dashboard temperature gauge or indicator light will alert the driver that the engine’s not being adequately cooled. The driver may even smell a burning odor and see smoke and rising white fumes coming out from under the hood.

If this occurs, he should immediately pull over to the side of the road as safely as he can. He should then shut the engine off by turning the ignition key and putting the transmission into the park position.He should grab a rag or towel and pop open the hood to allow the steam to escape. After waiting five to ten minutes to allow the engine and radiator to cool down some, he should slowly twist open the radiator cap to allow more heat to escape. He shouldn’t completely remove the cap until all the heat and steam has diminished significantly. Once the radiator is cool enough to touch it, the driver should remove the cap and pour in either fresh water or an antifreeze/coolant mixture, if he has some available in his trunk. If he doesn’t have any, he should contact a local auto shop to bring a tow truck over or wait until a passing motorist stops and can help him out by giving him some of his own spare coolant or water.

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  by  dbbent