What You Need to Know About Car Engine Overheating This Summer

Maggie Kay is excited to begin her summer reunion with friends at Raquette Lake, stopping briefly at the Plattekill Rest Area.

“They bought a new house,” Kay said. “We can’t wait to go see what it’s like, see them and spend time with them, go swimming and not be in a humid, 35-degree climate.”

But this particularly hot summer presents additional obstacles for travelers like Maggie.

Intense heat can cause real problems with standard petrol cars, especially if the coolant level is low and you’re in traffic with the air conditioning on full blast.

“With frequent stops and heavy traffic in high temperatures, the temperature of the car can rise simply because a lot of people have their air conditioning on full blast, especially when it’s really hot,” said Dan Fisher, AAA Western and Central NY Emergency Roadside Services dispatch manager. “Your car is working really hard to maintain that temperature.”

Normally, when you’re driving, the airflow on the highway keeps your car at a safe temperature. But in traffic, that airflow stops and your car can heat up more quickly. Fisher said the best thing you can do to prevent your engine from overheating is to make sure your coolant levels are good and be aware of the extra pressure on your car, like the air conditioning. But if it does overheat, you should pull over to a safe place and give it time to cool down. But it’s also dangerous to try to open the radiator.

“The systems are closed,” Fisher said. “They also build up a lot of pressure and that can cause serious injury if you open or try to open anything, if it’s still under pressure.”

Kay doesn’t have to worry about that; a thorough car check before her trip allowed her to focus on spending time with her loved ones on the lake and not on her car.

“I had the car serviced because, precisely because it was so hot, I thought the last thing I wanted was for the car to break down,” she said.