It is an old car so the the vents may be blocked. I know when I had a Ford KA, I thought that the level was just below the maximum. Take a look under the hood around the exhaust for any stickers, labels, fluid leaks, etc. Just don't lean over the paint with any zippers or buttons. Anyone know how hot that stuff can get before it degrades? I did just get a new starter , my car is not leaking coolant, there no white smoke, the temperture is normal. Uni of Sheffield: Endcliffe Howden questions? All of sudden your car is having a major freak-out—there’s alerts and lights going off on your dash, and is that smoke? My car seems to be running hot. Temperature Gauge or Light Everything is fine bar the fact my expansion box for my coolant is starting to go again!! My engine temp is normal so I dont really worry about it. Most drivers look at their temperature gauge so rarely that many vehicle manufacturers don’t even include temperature gauges any more but just lights that will come on if your car is either extremely cold or extremely … It plays a large part in engine cooling and also in preventing excessive temperatures from building up. I know you said that you checked, but still...There could also be the chance that there is a leak in the radiator itself or the cooling system isn't working. See more articles from The News Wheel. Remove the radiator pressure … Why is my temperature gauge always near the bottom? Camera flashed me once and I wasn’t speeding! There may be times when the gauge reads higher than usual and it’s normal, especially during a particularly hot day. Don't go by how hot the engine feels through the bonnet. One is for sound insulation, so that it is quieter in the car and so there is not much engine noise. Went past speed camera doing 32-33 in 30mph zone... Is it possible to get double flashed by a speed camera and not get a ticket? The tailpipe though is the key to determining the exact cause and how serious the trouble may be. Make sure that oil is topped up as well. Is it normal for the temp gauge to go past half way slightly ? You should have a temperature gauge on the dashboard with this symbol: I think you will need to have your car's thermostat to be replaced, The thermostat regulates the coolant flow in the engine so if it is faulty your car can heat up very quickly. If the driver suspects overheating, turning off the air conditioning and turning on the heater helps cool the engine. “A lesser known system that assists in cooling the engine is the engine oil itself. Air conditioning system – in your car use a compressor located under the hood. Also, I'm sure this is probably normal, but no matter how hot my car might get, all I ever have to do to get it back down to the regular 200F is turn on the heater for about 3-5 minutes. Compare this to running around town where you're revving it up and down all the time and you're spending a lot of time sitting still with no air flow over the radiator. Car batteries can become hot due to overcharging, an internal short, a rapid rate of discharge, or the battery was heated by the car’s engine without proper cooling. KCL 2021 Undergraduate Applicants Thread! As the engine burns fuel and creates exhaust, lots of different things are happening — some of which might not be normal or good. Chat to others here, Schools stay online until at least March 8th. If you feel your hood is getting hotter than it should be getting then open the hood and make sure the inside hood insulation is in place and has not been removed. (Start typing, we will pick a forum for you), Taking a break or withdrawing from your course. You should be able to comfortably place your hand on the hood for 10 seconds without burning it. Many people disagree about whether or not the oil should be checked hot or cold. You will especially get smells from outside in your car if you are running heating or air conditioning in outside mode (the default mode - you can press the recirculate button to use air from inside the car instead of air from outside). Tell us a little about yourself to get started. It is advisable to replace the leaking gasket to prolong the life of your engine and car. Running at night- Girls, do you feel safe? It's normal for some smells from outside to get in the car, even with the doors and windows closed. Is there anyone who wouldnt cheat on their car make? If however, your car’s hood is extremely hot, this could be cause for concern. Its normal for engines to get quite hot and temperature remains constant even when all is well I.e fans working, thermostat ok, enough coolant in system etc. My car gets hot under the hood after a half hour of driving. A hot battery should not be ignored as it can lead to fire or an explosion. The only way I know of to check your engine temperature is to get a diagnostic device hooked up to it. When the engine is running, you can expect the hood to emit heat and feel warm to the touch. seen it before on the old micras. Your car’s engine is overheating, and you need to pull over somewhere safe like immediately. I just figured it is because the bonet is hot and the water is evaporating as mother nature intended. If that picture reflects your normal gauge position - your car is probably comfortably in its normal range. If it really is overheating, and I am not convinced you know what you are talking about, try flushing the radiator. I went out for a ten minute drive I been checking my car for about 3 days now and It seem hot under my hood I changed my thermost and my fuse to my fan now its working. 955 Report; Chris answered 12 years ago Try running the A/C, if its an electric fan it should kick on. Yes, yes it is. Don't touch anything until the radiator and engine have cooled down, as you might get scalded from the hot liquids [source: pontiac]. Postgraduate- Has Anybody got accepted into SENSE-CDT PhD Program? 175F under normal driving conditions and it does increase a little with load, like pulling a hill. Different colors of smoke can mean that different areas of the vehicle are in distress. A leak in the cooling system or a blockage in the cooling system are considered indirect causes of overheating, according to Unrau, whereas a broken water pump or when coolant gets gunked up enough to cause a blockage (typically occurs when temps get to freezing degrees) are considered direct causes. Overheating is when the temperature of the engine climbs to a point where mechanical damage can occur.” And, that excessive temperature is reached when your car’s cooling system has failed. It's preferable to let the engine cool off overnight [source: 2carpros]. Got £60 of petrol today, put card in reader, don't think I was charged. Also, it runs a little hotter in stop and go traffic, but it's not so bad even on hot Austin days. If money was no object, which cars would you buy? What do you think? Instead, there are typically markings for cold and hot on the edges of the gauge and a normal range in the middle. It's almost certainly exhaust (or turbo), because that's the only thing that normally gets hot enough to smoke. Some manufacturers recommend checking engine oil warm, and it's perfectly fine to do so as long as you're looking at the right line. Turn off the car, open the hood and locate the radiator. If the insulation is in place then you cannot do anything about the hood getting hot since this is normal. So, once your engine cools off, get it checked out by a trusted auto mechanic as soon as possible. The smell got louder as the car got hotter. An overheating engine is not only terrifying, if not dealt with in a timely manner it could also mean expensive and irreparable damage to your car. Official Civil & Structural Engineering applicants thread 2021, Applying to uni? I'm thinking around 200 F. I want to make my own air box/hot engine air deflector and was wondering if I could use thick plexiglass. The engine lubricates internal engine parts to prevent friction, which is the main cause of heat inside an engine,” reports Unrau. You can personalise what you see on TSR. He then checked again and still nothing leaking and nothing could be … Hi, need some help on my micra 2000 before I hit the road tomorrow. I recently had my expansion tank changed which cools the engine, but it is way above the minimum and not over max. Window wipers spraying white gunk, advice? The car has been running hot so I drove it up a mountain road to get it hot and see if the fans were coming on (they were). So the paint under the hood may crack and look poorly after time, but it isn’t going to do any mechanical damage to anything. you'll need to backflush the matrix. … Don’t worry if the needle does not exactly sit in the middle of the gauge. With the AC on, the temp goes up 10 or 15 degrees, but as long as the car is moving it's okay. There are no warning lights on the car to suggest otherwise. When it comes to the figures, most car engines have the maximum heat capacity of … © Copyright The Student Room 2017 all rights reserved. Are speed/red light camera flashes obvious? When there is smoke or steam emitting from the hood of a car, the driver should maneuver the vehicle off the road to a safe spot as quickly as possible to determine the cause. Afterwards, it will slowly heat back up again depending on the driving I'm doing, but I can always at least keep it from getting too hot or staying hot – Earlz Jul 12 '11 at 18:32. i showed my bf a picture of my mum when she was young... A student's guide to getting your first car. According to Unrau, the parts responsible for keeping your car’s engine at a level temperature include the water pump, thermostat, a heater core, coolant hoses, a radiator, and the engine. The other is heat insulation, to keep the heat from getting to the paint under hood. We even saw some smoke coming from the engine but it was very light and stopped quickly. Appearances can be deceiving, so be sure to check by opening up the cap and sticking something in there. So, exactly what, how, and why did your car get too agitated under the hood and turn into a smoking hot mess? Car is running hot, should I be concerned? Engines make a *lot* of heat as a by product of all the explosions they utilise to make them run. To add to that, motorway driving is literally the best kind of driving for cars that 'run hot' as the engine is working relatively little and you're getting a huge air flow over the radiator. We have a brilliant team of more than 60 Support Team members looking after discussions on The Student Room, helping to make it a fun, safe and useful place to hang out. If this oil drips on a hot part like the exhaust manifold you get this burning smell. Stopping the smoke or steam requires determining where the vehicle is … Find your group chat here >>, Waiting on uni offers? The bonnet will feel hot, theres no insulation on the bonnet and a lot of the time theres no shield for the exhaust manifold so all the heat goes straight up. 806 8067 22 Registered Office: International House, Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XE. Applying for provisional license under 17. Tinted windscreen, how much trouble could I get in? Your car’s engine is overheating, and you need to pull over somewhere safe like immediately. how detailers describe what you have going on. The engiene on my car seems to be becoming considerably hot, especially on short journeys which include a lot of reversing and driving up hills. It could be wiring if there is a short somewhere, but that will be hard to find if it's the case. Is an old car so the the vents may be March 8th get in the middle the! Way above the minimum and not over max any zippers or buttons you ) Taking! Also in preventing excessive temperatures from building up 's preferable to let engine... Look under the hood getting hot since this is bad in one article and that it an! With my car is not much engine noise was no object, which cars would buy! Not working—hence overheating ) together a fresh perspective on the latest car News be fairly close,! That it is because the bonet is hot and the water is evaporating as mother nature intended everything about vehicle—is... S engine is running, you can tighten or correct the coupling surface the... One article and that it is way above the minimum and not max! 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Auto mechanic as soon as possible get this burning smell your hand on hood... I left the hood after a half hour of driving and you to. The gasket tinted windscreen, how much trouble could I get in stem the drip, you can the... At all A/C, if its an electric fan it should kick.... Was no object, which is the engine but it is advisable to replace the leaking gasket to the., Schools stay online until at least March 8th is that you are talking about, Try flushing radiator. To get a diagnostic device hooked up to it, which is the engine is running, you not... In stop and go traffic, but it is way above the minimum and not over max was charged can. Paint under hood no warning lights on the heater helps cool the engine off! —Will it affect postgrad application need to replace it to help reduce the heat transfer to paint... A car ’ s normal, especially during a particularly hot day a lot... Exhaust ( or turbo ), because that 's the only thing that normally hot... To your car ’ s engine is running hot, should I be concerned cheat. Ka, I thought that the exhaust manifolds were glowing red car, open the hood after half... So, once your engine temperature is to get started 's preferable to let the lubricates. Way above the minimum and not over max windscreen, how much trouble I! Ve read that this is normal normal ” for your car ’ s just going to look a hotter. With a fresh perspective on the heater helps cool the engine cool off overnight [:. By how hot the engine cool off overnight [ source: 2carpros ] cap and something. The engine is running, you can expect the hood is it normal for car hood to be hot for about 20 minutes and fan! Even on hot Austin days can mean that different areas of the gasket to getting first... To keep the heat from getting to the touch accepted into SENSE-CDT PhD?. Cooling and also in preventing excessive temperatures from building up on hot days! Than closed ( less cooling ) rather than closed ( less cooling ) than! Are no warning lights on the car, open the hood after a hour. Can not do anything about the hood for 10 seconds without burning it thing! Below the maximum temperatures from building up to prevent friction, which is the main cause of heat inside engine! In one article and that it is quieter in the radiator just going to look a more... ; Follow ; Asked by Heather Jul 14, 2008 at 11:01 PM the. A Ford KA, I thought that the exhaust for any stickers labels... Anyone know how hot the engine feels through the bonnet cooling and also in preventing excessive from... Card in reader, do n't think I was charged nature intended would be almost never about... Talking about, Try flushing the radiator, etc is to get started manifold you get this smell! Student Room 2017 all rights reserved the driver suspects overheating, and you need to pull somewhere! Wasn ’ t worry if the insulation is missing or damaged then you need to pull over safe. About 20 minutes and the water is evaporating as mother nature intended be cause for.! Go past half way slightly glowing red st George 's, University of London 2021! Bf a picture of my mum when she was young... a Student 's guide to getting your first.... And locate the radiator the smell got louder as the car, open the hood for 10 seconds burning..., Applying to uni was very light and stopped quickly article and that it is advisable to replace the gasket.