If Your Engine Overheats
4. If the temperature gauge stays at
the red mark, turn off the engine.
5. Wait until you see no more signs
of steam or spray, then open
the hood.
6. Look for any obvious
coolant leaks, such as a split
radiator hose. Everything is
still extremely hot, so use
caution. If you find a leak, it
must be repaired before you
continue driving (see
Towing
on page
174
).
7. If you don't find an obvious leak,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank (see page
115
). If the level is below the
MIN mark, add coolant to half-
way between the MIN and
MAX marks.
8. If there was no coolant in the
reserve tank, you may also have
to add coolant to the radiator.
9. Using gloves or a large heavy
cloth, turn the radiator cap
counterclockwise, without
pushing down, to the first
stop. This releases any
remaining pressure in the
cooling system. After the
pressure releases, push down
on the cap and turn it until it
comes off.
10. Start the engine and set the
heater control lever to
maximum. Add coolant to the
radiator up to the base of the
fill neck. If you do not have the
proper coolant mixture
available, you can add plain
water. Remember to have the
cooling system drained and
refilled with the proper
mixture as soon as you can.
11. Put the radiator cap back on
tightly. Run the engine and
watch the temperature gauge.
If it goes back to the red mark,
the engine needs repair. (See
Towing
on page
174
.)
12. If the temperature stays
normal, check the coolant
level in the radiator reserve
tank. If it has gone down, add
coolant to the MAX mark. Put
the cap back on tightly.
Taking Care of the Unexpected
Let the engine cool down
until the pointer reaches the
middle of the temperature
gauge, or lower, before checking
the radiator
Removing the radiator cap while
the engine is hot can cause the
coolant to spray out, seriously
scalding you.
Always let the engine and
radiator cool down before
removing the radiator cap.
Main Menu
Table of Contents
▲
▼
