South Africa is prone to experiencing hot summers and dry winters. This means that cars can overheat if they are not maintained properly. New cars and modern vehicles are unlikely to suffer from overheating unless they have low water and coolant levels or a leak in the radiator from accident damage.
It’s important to check your water and coolant levels regularly. The attendants at petrol stations can do it every time you fill up. If you do find that your water level is low or your car shows warning lights about the temperature, you need to pull over and assess the situation immediately.
The first signs of overheating
Cars are most likely to overheat in hot weather, when climbing a hill or when there is traffic on the road. The engine takes more strain than usual under these conditions, so keep an eye on your temperature gauge when you find yourself in these situations and you are worried about your engine.
The first sign of overheating will be your temperature gauge on the dashboard. If the gauge is rising, turn off your air conditioning system and open the windows. This will take an immediate and unnecessary load off of the engine and help it to cool down. “Although it sounds odd, it will also help to turn on the heater as this draws excess heat from the engine,” says Dewald Ranft, chairperson of the Motor Industry Workshop Association (MIWA).
If you find yourself in heavy traffic when your engine overheats, shift into neutral (or park if you have an automatic gearbox) and rev the engine slightly. “This will make the water pump and fan speed up, drawing more liquid and air through the radiator. The increased air and liquid circulation help cool the engine off,” explains Ranft.
“If you are in traffic, rather crawl along slowly on little more than idle, than move up and brake repeatedly. Or move up only when the gap between you and the vehicle in front of you gets too large,” he adds. This reduces the load on the engine from excessive braking.
What to do when your car does overheat
If your efforts to cool the engine down don’t help the problem, you may find that the needle hits the red zone and steam starts escaping from the bonnet. If this happens, pull over immediately and switch off the engine. “Just pulling over but still idling the engine is not enough. Engines have to work harder to keep cool at idle than at cruising speed, so turn it off as soon as you can,” says Ranft.
Open the bonnet and let the engine cool off for at least 30 minutes. Look at the water level and see if that’s the cause of the problem. “If you aren’t sure where to look for the [water] reservoir, check your owner’s manual. If the [water] level is normal, you might just have a malfunctioning temperature gauge. However, if it’s low or empty there’s probably a coolant leak. In that case, I’d strongly suggest you call roadside assistance,” says Dewals Ranft, chairperson of the Motor Industry Workshop Association (MIWA).
“But if you have to keep driving, make sure the engine is cool and protect your hand with a glove or a rag, then twist off the radiator cap. Refill both the radiator and the reservoir, using coolant or if necessary, water. This should bring the temperature down once you’re underway, but stay vigilant as you most probably have a serious leak somewhere,” he explains.
If the temperature keeps rising, pull over and repeat this process. This will slow down the journey but it will prevent permanent damage to your vehicle engine. Once you reach your destination, take your vehicle to a workshop or service station to have the problem fixed. The best way to prevent overheating is regular maintenance through an authorised service station.
Formex Industries is a metal forming and assembly company that supplies a variety of complex products to the local automotive industry and export market. The company is based in the Nelson Mandela Bay metropole, South Africa’s foremost region for automotive manufacturing and export.
Formex specialises in producing components for the catalytic converter industry, as well as metal components and assemblies for the various vehicles. Formex aims to become one of the foremost suppliers for the South African automotive industry by 2035, aligning itself with the South African Automotive Masterplan (SAAM) which takes effect in 2020.
Formex is a Level 2 B-BBEE supplier with over 80% black ownership, of which more than 40% are black women. The company is owned by Deneb Investments Limited – a subsidiary of Hosken Consolidated Investments Limited (HCI) – one of South Africa’s biggest true B-BBEE companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE).
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