Engine overheating is a bore and an inconvenience. It's also no respecter of persons, happening to the best of us at one time or another. It isn't necessarily your fault. Stop-and-go traffic in hot weather is a recipe for engine overheating. Our service department team here at Fife, WA Land Rover of Tacoma shares a few other root causes of this dreaded scenario.
A car cooling system relies on hoses, gaskets, and pumps to circulate liquid coolant between the engine block and heads and the radiator. Normal, daily use of a car even in moderate weather stresses these hoses and gaskets. Over time, wear and tear can cause hoses to spring leaks or become blocked. This is one of the main reasons why engines overheat.
Contaminated Liquid CoolantA liquid coolant circulates throughout the engine block and heads, constantly collecting and shuttling away heat. Incompatible coolant, coolant mixtures, and contaminated coolant prevent a car's cooling system from performing its job optimally. The result is a breakdown in the cooling system's efficiency, leading to engine overheating.