Therefore, the state of your vehicle’s engine should be of utmost importance to you. If you see your vehicle's temperature gauge creeping into the hot zone, try not to panic. The absence of coolant in the reservoir of your vehicle will not make the system function properly, causing the engine’s temperature to rise. While there are a variety of reasons your Toyota Camry is overheating, the most common 3 are a coolant leak (water pump, radiator, hose etc. You should open the hood or bonnet of your car to release the steam from the engine. Routine inspections can also help you fix any potential radiator or engine issues before they worsen. B16A2 DOHC VTEC engine. Making sure that you check out why this is happening and get it to repair is crucial because you may receive a poor mileage if not repaired soon enough. This problem can cost a lot to repair and if you maintained your vehicle earlier, you could have avoided this. More serious problems exist that can cause that hot smell too. On some vehicles, there’s a coolant temperature sensor that has two wires directing to the cluster. If your vehicle overheats in traffic in normal weather, one of the following may be the culprit: The water and coolant and water level in the radiator is low. Failed Water Pump – the water pump is part of the cooling system and it transfers water throughout the engines system, and it allow the vehicle to remain cool. You also might have an internal coolant leak inside the engine like a head gasket causing the overheating. When the level is … Reason for a car running hot but not overheating 1. The temperature gauge isn’t as advanced as you think, and it can be designed to read in the middle of the gauge over a wide range of temperatures. My friend and I created this website to share our knowledge, expertise, and experience with our fellow mechanics' community and car users. When the temperature gauge is rapidly increasing, it reflects a drastic increase in the temperature of your vehicle’s engine, leading to the engine knocking. Temperature gauges are wired differently on some cars than on others. This fault can be the reason why your car temperature gauge goes up and down while driving. If you notice that the temperature gauge is fluctuating and giving you an incorrect reading, it’s a sign that it needs to be replaced. Trust me. Once your temperature gauge has indicated that your vehicle’s engine has gotten to a high level of hotness indicated while driving the car, you have just a few minutes before severe damages will be done to your vehicle. If your cooling fan isn’t turning on or running at the right level, it can case your car to overheat. The temperature sensor helps measure the temperature of the engine. A lot of our readers have the Auto Maintenance and Repair Manual printed on their garage wall and 92% of them haven’t visited the auto repair shop in the last year because they know what to do to avoid problems. If you notice that there’s corrosion, then this might need to be repaired because they’ve been worn down. The professional diagnostics tool will then translate the error code and tell you what it means. Immediately park your vehicle and turn off your engine. Chances are that it happens due to an internal or external coolant leakage or a leak in the radiator cap. This is one of the factors that can cause rapid fluctuation in the reading of the temperature gauge. Check your fan clutch if you have a mechanical cooling fan with a fan clutch. Wires can go from the sensor directly to the cluster or from the sensor to the engine control unit. The … There could be gasket that is leaking or a water pump that is close to failing, or you could just have a bad thermostat, but it sounds like the problem might be worse. When you notice a continuous increase in the level of the temperature gauge of your vehicle, you should not take this likely. A damaged head gasket can cause leakage of coolant. That’s why the best option is to stop your car and investigate the problem immediately you notice any sign that reflects a significant increase in the temperature of your vehicle’s engine. If not functioning efficiently, your cooling system will not have enough force to transport the coolant through the passages or hoses. Running the A/C puts a heavy load on your engine. This problem can be due to a low coolant level in the radiator, a faulty thermostat, bad radiator, damaged head gasket, faulty water pump, or it might just be a bad temperature sensor or gauge giving a false reading. To fix this, you need to head to the dealership and make sure that you get it fixed. In this situation, you need to make sure that the coolant level is topped up. This tool helps me easily find out the causes of any engine problem my vehicle might be experiencing. The temperature gauge only indicates on when the temperature of the car is too hot or too cold. While it’s not ideal on a hot summer day (which is when most vehicles tend to overheat), it does help cool the engine down. Always allow the engine to cool before testing or inspection. The fact that the temperature gauge is increasing in temperature level does not certainly mean that the engine is overheating. In this case, you need to clean the spray and the connectors. A faulty head gasket can be one of the factors responsible for the temperature gauge rising but car not overheating. Your car overheating shouldn’t propel you into a frenzied fluster, that will only make you nuts and won’t solve the underlying problem. ), the radiator fan, or a failed thermostat. On modern vehicles, there’s an engine control unit and it needs the temperature of the coolant to calculate the correct air-fuel mixture at different temperatures. Put your car in neutral or park and then rev the engine. Also, note that a faulty temperature gauge can cause the engine hot but temperature gauge normal. It might also be a result of a faulty temperature gauge. Continue to the driver while your vehicle is overheating can cause more wear on the engine which will damage its longevity. The temperature gauge is so rarely looked at that manufacturers have stopped putting temperature gauges in their vehicles. While there are a variety of reasons your Ford Explorer is overheating, the most common 3 are a coolant leak (water pump, radiator, hose etc. If the coolant level in the coolant reservoir is low, it will cause your car to be hot. Currently has 204,000 kilometres (127,000 miles) When the car is on a stop and idling, the temp gauge needle goes up steadily, and when the car is running, the gauge goes back to normal just as fast. When the temp gauge is on hot and I rev the engine, temp gauge needle … All you need to do is to clean dirt and dust away from the sensor. If your car is hot but isn’t overheating, there are a few reasons why this can happen. Regular maintenance can help with this issue. Low CoolantThe cooling system must maintain pressure and a proper coolant level or the engine will overheat. In some vehicles, the needle may never reach the middle of the gauge and this is a good thing. An engine overheating can affect drivability and air conditioner efficiency. The temperature gauge isn’t as advanced as you think, and it can be designed to read in the middle of the gauge over a wide range of temperatures. If you want to avoid temperature gauge problems or other issues and save $100s of dollars that you’ll spend at the auto repair shop, you’ll need to service your vehicle often – you can use our mechanic-rated Auto Maintenance and Repair Manual to do this. This can be a simple fix if it just got low, but a leak can require more extensive repairs. In most vehicles, the gauge is an indication of the coolant’s temperature and it can give the driver a warning about the coolant system quite quickly. All it takes is giving your vehicle a little attention every few thousand miles and you’ll never spend money at the workshop again. This can also happen when the seal at the combustion chamber, engine oil, and coolant aren’t secure. 3. Doing this, to a large extent, can lower the chances of your vehicle developing issues that will cause the problem of your car running hot but not overheating or any engine problem at all. Your vehicle is overheating* and you need to do something about it RIGHT NOW. How to fix cars running hot but not overheating? Check the water level to make it's at or near the top of the radiator. Instead, you might have a failed thermostat, which opens and closes circuits in the cooling system as the engine heats up. Please take your vehicle to the mechanic shop for proper check if you still notice a high drop in your radiator’s coolant level just after you finished refilling. All was well for about 3 months. It is not good for your vehicle to run on a very hot engine. Of course these aren’t the only possible problems that can cause a car to overheat. If your car smells hot but not overheating on the temperature gauge, it still needs to be inspected. You might require a mechanic’s services to help you do this quickly. During the winter when you crank up your heat, the coolant is brought over from the engine to the heater core that then blows warm air into your car. If your engine gets very hot, you might start observing white smoke from the engine. The most likely cause is a clogged radiator. This type of fan will move, albeit with some resistance, when you turn it by hand with the engine off. If you want to diagnose this problem properly, you can use a professional OBD2 scanner (View on Amazon). So, if you see that the temperature gauge is all the way up even though the cars not overheating, this is a weird situation. There are also gears that allow the need to move and this can break. A malfunctioning thermostat might also be a likely reason for overheating while the car is running at a regular speed. Hi There, I am R. Hasan Tito, a mechanic, and owner of this website. Broken Engine Control Unit – if the engine control unit is broken, this can cause the temperature gauge to go up even when the vehicle isn’t hot. The water pump or radiator might also be changed or repaired. An OBD2 scanner will read this diagnostics unit and let you know the error codes that have been store within. A clog in the heater core could also cause this problem. When the water pump has a broken seal, shaft, or cast, it can cause the water pump to stop working. There are several warning signs that can notify you when the engine of your vehicle begins to overheat. In your vehicle, there’s a temperature gauge and most drivers never look at it – it can actually tell you a lot about the condition your vehicles in. Reason #1: Not Enough Coolant. Coolants pass through the engine block, flowing into the radiator to draw out excessive heat. Once the hood is open, there’s a risk of being sprayed with hot water or steam. Also, a fluctuation in the radiator fan’s operation can cause a rise and fall in the engine’s temperature of your vehicle. And the temperature gage is always right in the middle, it's not showing that it's overheating. In a case of coolant leakage under your vehicle due to a torn or worn-out radiator hose. I would recommend that you have a certified technician complete a system check in order to pinpoint your overheating problem. My car is overheating while driving If the temperature gauge is unable to give a steady reading, it is a sign that this might be the cause. If your engine is running hot you should try to fix the problem as quickly as possible. Leaks can be internal or external. It ain’t funny. Making sure that you drive knowing the correct temperature is important. There are maintenance steps that you should be carrying out on your vehicle to keep it in tip top condition, and this includes the temperature gauge. If you noticed that your car is running hot but not overheating, there are a few reasons why. There are many sensors in every automotive engine used for regulating things like temperature, emissions, and ignition timing. Like I said earlier, park your vehicle in a safe parking area and immediately turn off the engine. It’s a great tool. If there’s a problem related to the temperature of the temperature gauge, then you’ll know the exact problem and what needs to be fixed. It is not an expensive repair, but this would require the services of a mechanic. Failure to maintain your vehicle can lead to problems like this. Your engine can read as though it is overheating when there’s a broken temperature gauge. If you notice any head gasket blown symptoms, it means that the seal between the cylinder head and the engine block is formed by the head gasket. If your car smells like antifreeze but not overheating, the components you should look into are: Hot coolant flowing through the radiator should be cooled as air from the cooling fan(s), or normal driving, passes over the radiator. There’s a … When there’s a problem like this in the car, an error code is sent to the diagnostics unit and this is where it’s stored. There are many gears in the temperature gauge of your vehicle that can also affect the function of this needle. It is best to call the services of a mechanic for this kind of repair. This will need to be checked by a mechanic so the appropriate steps can be taken. https://gobdp.com/blog/is-your-car-running-hot-but-not-overheating Using a quality thermostat might really help your car. A faulty head gasket can be one of the factors responsible for the temperature gauge rising but car not overheating. Start the car and remove the radiator cap so that you can see down into the radiator. This can be done using brake fluid. In the meantime, do not attempt to open the hood; the coolant in a car that has overheated may be in excess of 230 degrees, says Reina. The temperature sensor is responsible for determining your vehicle’s engine temperature; a bad temperature sensor equals an inaccurate reading on the temperature gauge. Replaced the Thermostat myself and seems to have fixed the problem. Since then, a couple of times it has released a ton of steam, but my temp gauge remains within a normal range. If you car is overheating at idle, but it’s fine the rest of the time, then there are a handful of different problems that you might be dealing with. You can relax. Turn off the air conditioner. But not too worry, cause today I will educate you on the causes of your car running hot but not overheating and also how to still get to that meeting or event on time even when you find yourself in this situation. This can also be caused by a damaged radiator, faulty radiator cap, lower level of coolant or a trapped air bubble in the system. 1. The water pump is a major engine component in your vehicle’s cooling system. Park your vehicle in a safe area or put it in Neutral mode. Common Symptoms of a bad Knock Sensor and Replacement Cost. If the temperature gauge is high, then you should stop driving the vehicle to make sure that you process what’s happening. Long Post but not sure what is going on. However, if the car is still getting heat, the heater core can easily be ruled out. The radiator additionally keeps the pistons in working order, allowing the engine to run. What are common reasons my Ford Explorer overheats? Your engine should be running at a normal temperature of 195 to 220F and the temperature on the gauge on most gauges won’t be able to show this exact temperature. If you notice that the needle stays in the same place for several minutes and doesn’t move from the red zone, it could be an indication that the gauge is broken. I have been working as a mechanic for over fifteen years.