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 extreme-
ly hot, so use caution. If you find
a leak, it must be repaired before
you continue driving (see
Towing
on page
185
).
7. If you don't find an obvious leak,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank (see page
124
). If the level is below the
M I N 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.
Let the engine cool down until
the pointer reaches the middle of
the temperature gauge, or lower,
before checking 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
temperature control lever to
maximum. Add coolant to the
radiator up to the base of the
filler 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
T o w i n g
on page
185
.)
12.If the temperature stays normal,
check the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. If it has
gone down, add coolant to the
M A X mark. Put the cap back on
tightly.
Taking Care of the Unexpected
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.
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