What to do if your Engine Overheats on the road

DReddy · 26th August 2015, 10:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by DReddy

Posting this on behalf of my friend who has had a harrowing experience With Hyundai service.

Requesting the mods and BHPian Hyundai owners to highlight this case and if possible refer to higher ups in the hyundai management chain and also advise us on the next course of action to be taken.

Thanks for moving my post to the relevant thread. Please find the jobcard with initial estimate provided by Lakshmi hyundai. The other pic is the jobcard from 2 months earlier when he got the car serviced at the same place and no issues were noticed then. Requesting the mods and Hyderabadi BHPians for your support. This is a blatant ripoff on the part of Hyundai service and the utter lack of concern being shown by the higher management has really put my friend in a situation where he has lost his trust completely in the organization. He is planning to approach the consumer court on this issue. Once again I request help from BHPians who have faced similar issues earlier.

trumpet · 12th October 2015, 11:01

Thanks to all moderators for having put up this thread. I recently had 'that' experience. I wish to share this here for the benefit of all.

My Getz suffered a radiator fan motor issue. On a Sunday evening, i was out shopping with family, i was in the car with the AC on and waiting for them. About 30 mins later, steam/smoke started appearing from the engine - note i was not aware of this, i thought it could be from other vehicles as it's a common parking lot. The AC conked off. I didn't bother - i thought the gas must be low and we returned home without the AC. The drive back was no issues.

I gave the car for service (thankfully we have a guy next door) and told him that AC gas is low. He promptly checked the system and said there is no issue and said that the system was cooling properly.

Next day i took the car for work, 20 mins later again the AC conked off. I switched it off and continued. I also noticed pickup was slow, but still i made it to office, as i parked and locked up, I heard bubbling sounds from the engine. My other colleagues also noticed steam venting off. Having reached the office, i scurried to open this thread and glance what to do. I went back and opened the bonnet slowly to let the engine cool. After a good 1 hour I inspected the car. I checked for oil, it was ok, checked the coolant tank. You have to believe me when i say this, "It was clean and dry without a drop of water".

I called the same guys back to my office and asked them to take the car back. By that time it was a good 3 hours - so the engine had cooled down by then. They filed the radiator and the tank with water and started off. They tested the engine to see if the fan kicks in at the required temperature. It did start as normal. But half way down the ride, the car gave up again and they had to refill.

Now it all fell into place, since the radiator fan did not start up at all, the increase in temperature had the engine use up all the water and the AC stopped. We later found out that this happened because the brushes that start the fan motor were all dusty and dirty(probably due to the location). They opened the motor, cleaned the contacts and set it back in. Now, it's back to normal.

So folks, if anyone encounters this issue, please also check if the fan turns on at the specified temperature during your diagnosis. But i am still puzzled with one question, why didn't the 'HOT' mark come up on the dash? It never came at all during all this.

Thanks again, mods!! - one of the most important things to have on person is presence of mind and access to the right information so that we can take correct decisions.

Ride/Drive safe!
Trumpet

trumpet · 13th October 2015, 12:04

Guys,

One more thing, there's always a possibility of low vaccum being present in the system due to lack of adequate coolant. So, when you top up with water, please ensure that you monitor the level in the coolant tank as well - till the system stabilizes.

This is important because otherwise you will end up back in square one. This also happened to me as I after reaching office casually checked the coolant tank again. It was again empty to the eye, but there was coolant in the tank but beyond the low mark!

So, i topped up, the coolant mixed with water and came upto the brim. Then, I drove back home (without AC - just to be safe so that nothing else happens) and after reaching home, i went on a 30 min drive with the AC on, just to see if i face that same problem as earlier. Nothing happened, all systems were normal.

The next day (ie today Oct 13, 2015) I came till office and checked the level, it still holds good. So people do keep this conditioning also part of your checks as well.

Ride/Drive safe
Trumpet!

bharatbits · 15th October 2015, 18:16

I need guidance from experts on this forum on the overheating issue that i am facing in my Indica V2 DLS 2008.

My car engine overheats when i turn the AC on and run for around 6 kms. The coolant tank becomes completely empty and then the engine temperature starts moving towards red. Without the AC on i went around 100 kms and there was absolutely no heating issue. The coolant level was as it is.

Look forward to inputs from experts here.

dhanushs · 15th October 2015, 19:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by bharatbits

I need guidance from experts on this forum on the overheating issue that i am facing in my Indica V2 DLS 2008.

My car engine overheats when i turn the AC on and run for around 6 kms. The coolant tank becomes completely empty and then the engine temperature starts moving towards red. Without the AC on i went around 100 kms and there was absolutely no heating issue. The coolant level was as it is.

Look forward to inputs from experts here.

You need to take a step by step approach. The possible culprits would be:
(1) The fan not turning on.
(2) AC Wiring fault, so that fan doesnt increase speed when AC is turned ON.
(3) Worst case, your head gasket is shot. So that at load, the engine heats up.

bharatbits · 15th October 2015, 19:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by dhanushs

You need to take a step by step approach. The possible culprits would be:

The fan is surely kicking in. So, i think 1 is not the problem.

About fan not increasing speed - that could probably be a reason. I recently changed the fan motor as the one that came with the car went kaput (the bearing had gone) and went for a after market one that cost me a third of the OEM part. Could that be the culprit? However, the heating issue was there even before i changed the fan motor.

One mechanic says the problem could arise because of a faulty cooling coil. One other says it could be because of excess gas pressure in the ac system. I got my AC overhauled recently.

Any inputs based on this information?

Thanks
Bharat

Aroy · 16th October 2015, 11:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by bharatbits

The fan is surely kicking in. So, i think 1 is not the problem.

About fan not increasing speed - that could probably be a reason. I recently changed the fan motor as the one that came with the car went kaput (the bearing had gone) and went for a after market one that cost me a third of the OEM part. Could that be the culprit? However, the heating issue was there even before i changed the fan motor.

One mechanic says the problem could arise because of a faulty cooling coil. One other says it could be because of excess gas pressure in the ac system. I got my AC overhauled recently.

Any inputs based on this information?

Thanks
Bharat

If your vehicle is old or has run a lot, the culprit could be your radiator. With time the fins become clogged. A spray from the front with garden hose should clean that up.

If the heating still persists and your coolant is consumed fast, consult a radiator specialist. After a few years, the internal pipes of the radiator also get clogged. If so then the specialist would
. Take the radiator out
. Check for corrosion
. Check if any tube is clogged, if so clean it
. Check for leaks
. Reassemble the radiator and fit it back.

bharatbits · 16th October 2015, 22:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aroy

If your vehicle is old or has run a lot, the culprit could be your radiator. With time the fins become clogged. A spray from the front with garden hose should clean that up.

If the heating still persists and your coolant is consumed fast, consult a radiator specialist. After a few years, the internal pipes of the radiator also get clogged. If so then the specialist would
. Take the radiator out
. Check for corrosion
. Check if any tube is clogged, if so clean it
. Check for leaks
. Reassemble the radiator and fit it back.

Brilliant. After consulting so many people - from the mechanic, the electricals guy, ac guy etc i finally took a shot and got the radiator flushed today. There was lot of thick material that came out. The radiator is clean now and water+coolant seem to be circulating well. The AC has improved and everything feels better now. I just saw your post after getting everything you suggested done. Thanks for the guidance.

earthian · 18th February 2016, 14:55

Guidance required - Coolant getting thrown out from reservoir issue: Santa Fe

I require some advise since i plan to go on a 8000+ km trip to the NE after 9 days. Details of the car:
- 2011 Santa Fe, serviced regularly. Last service just a month back.
- Car has done 45K km
- well maintained.
I had sent the car to the Hyundai service station to have a quick look before i start on the journey and he came back today and said that the coolant level in the reservoir was low and even after topping it up, the car threw out the coolant on use. He said that he was keeping the car for a few days more to diagnose the issue. I asked him whether:

The hydrocarbons or the CO2 test was done on the coolant reservoir? No, not done.
Whether the oil showed signs of degradation? No, not there. ( oil was changed a month back)
Whether the fuel pump was defective? No- since a belt-pully driven pump? ( can this also not fail?)
Whether exhaust gases show signs of other fluid? No answer.
Whether any leakage seen in the cooling system? No, not seen- but could occur when pipes get heated?
whether temperature dial goes in red? No
temperature of coolant? 93 degrees.
Any issue with engine running? No, no issue
checked the thermostat? No, not done.

I plan to go tomorrow to check the car. What could be the possible reasons? Any other diagnosis that needs to be done?

@dhanushs - Your flow chart was very good, but i reached a dead end with this case.
@GTO - Thank you for starting this thread.
Thanks in advance.

sandeepmohan · 18th February 2016, 20:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by earthian

What could be the possible reasons? Any other diagnosis that needs to be done?

Blocked water jackets around the engine block result in coolant getting pushed out of the expansion tank. Have you ever filed in tap water or non distilled water in to the cooling system?

If the water jackets on the engine block are really blocked, it is only a matter of time your engine will over heat. I would not head out on that trip before identifying the problem. Pressure build up in the cooling system causes the coolant to get pushed out of the expansion tank. Check the functioning of the pressure cap on the radiator and operation of radiator fan/fans.

lancer_maniac · 11th May 2016, 20:28

My 2011 Cruze while travelling from cochin to calicut last month suddenly experienced power loss and the car was cruising in 30 to 40 km/h after that in spite of me giving full throttle

.After travelling some couple of kms i stopped for having dinner.From there i checked the engine bay.It didnt show any signs of overheating and also the coolant meter inside was within normal range.As it was late night and me travelling with wifey didn't know what to do.Anyway we proceeded to have dinner and i kept the bonnet open till we were done,which took hardly 30 minutes.After that i drove and was surprised that the issue didn't crop up again.Reached Calicut safely (around 100 more kms)and till today that issue haven't cropped up again although after that i used it only for city runs.Thought of giving it to the service centre for a checkup but then the Chevrolet showroom here in calicut closed down 2 months ago.As I'm a little skeptical of giving it to an independent garage i want advice from Gurus here as whether its a serious issue and is it safe to drive it now ignoring that issue,though it runs smoothly now.

Rahul Bhalgat · 20th June 2016, 23:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by lancer_maniac

My 2011 Cruze while travelling from cochin to calicut last month suddenly experienced power loss and the car was cruising in 30 to 40 km/h after that in spite of me giving full throttle.
.....
It didnt show any signs of overheating and also the coolant meter inside was within normal range.As it was late night and me travelling with wifey didn't know what to do.

What made you doubt overheating if the coolant meter and engine bay did not indicate so?

If the car moves only at 30-40 kmph in spite of full throttle (in the 3rd, 4th or 5th top gear I suppose), check if the cylinder in the clutch was stuck, check the fuel system and the ignition system (if it is petrol).

mayankk · 21st June 2016, 00:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by lancer_maniac

My 2011 Cruze while travelling from cochin to calicut last month suddenly experienced power loss and the car was cruising in 30 to 40 km/h after that in spite of me giving full throttle

That's the car going in "limp home"mode. Something has to have caused it. Get it your asc to run diagnotics. Don't ignore it.

lancer_maniac · 21st June 2016, 22:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rahul Bhalgat

What made you doubt overheating if the coolant meter and engine bay did not indicate so?

If the car moves only at 30-40 kmph in spite of full throttle (in the 3rd, 4th or 5th top gear I suppose), check if the cylinder in the clutch was stuck, check the fuel system and the ignition system (if it is petrol).

Well Rahul ,that might be the reason as my clutch bite is now coming very low on the clutch play (sorry dont know to put it in technical terms

) and when i took it the local garage, thinking it can be adjusted,he told me the cylinder pressure is low and it cant be adjusted.when i asked about the new clutch cylinder he told me its not necessary as the car can be driven like that for some more time and it wont effect anything else in the car.

Im eagerly waiting for a new A.S.S to be opened here in my home town Calicut,so that i can check with them .Right now there is no chevrolet service
center as the one which was here closed down due to some issues(German Motors)

lancer_maniac · 21st June 2016, 22:35

Mods,My Bad,Please delete this post

12th October 2015, 11:01	#287
trumpet BHPian Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Chennai Posts: 92 Thanked: 79 Times	Re: What to do if your Engine Overheats on the road Thanks to all moderators for having put up this thread. I recently had 'that' experience. I wish to share this here for the benefit of all. My Getz suffered a radiator fan motor issue. On a Sunday evening, i was out shopping with family, i was in the car with the AC on and waiting for them. About 30 mins later, steam/smoke started appearing from the engine - note i was not aware of this, i thought it could be from other vehicles as it's a common parking lot. The AC conked off. I didn't bother - i thought the gas must be low and we returned home without the AC. The drive back was no issues. I gave the car for service (thankfully we have a guy next door) and told him that AC gas is low. He promptly checked the system and said there is no issue and said that the system was cooling properly. Next day i took the car for work, 20 mins later again the AC conked off. I switched it off and continued. I also noticed pickup was slow, but still i made it to office, as i parked and locked up, I heard bubbling sounds from the engine. My other colleagues also noticed steam venting off. Having reached the office, i scurried to open this thread and glance what to do. I went back and opened the bonnet slowly to let the engine cool. After a good 1 hour I inspected the car. I checked for oil, it was ok, checked the coolant tank. You have to believe me when i say this, "It was clean and dry without a drop of water". I called the same guys back to my office and asked them to take the car back. By that time it was a good 3 hours - so the engine had cooled down by then. They filed the radiator and the tank with water and started off. They tested the engine to see if the fan kicks in at the required temperature. It did start as normal. But half way down the ride, the car gave up again and they had to refill. Now it all fell into place, since the radiator fan did not start up at all, the increase in temperature had the engine use up all the water and the AC stopped. We later found out that this happened because the brushes that start the fan motor were all dusty and dirty(probably due to the location). They opened the motor, cleaned the contacts and set it back in. Now, it's back to normal. So folks, if anyone encounters this issue, please also check if the fan turns on at the specified temperature during your diagnosis. But i am still puzzled with one question, why didn't the 'HOT' mark come up on the dash? It never came at all during all this. Thanks again, mods!! - one of the most important things to have on person is presence of mind and access to the right information so that we can take correct decisions. Ride/Drive safe! Trumpet Last edited by trumpet : 12th October 2015 at 11:03. Reason: extra spaces
	(3) Thanks

13th October 2015, 12:04	#288
trumpet BHPian Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Chennai Posts: 92 Thanked: 79 Times	Re: What to do if your Engine Overheats on the road Guys, One more thing, there's always a possibility of low vaccum being present in the system due to lack of adequate coolant. So, when you top up with water, please ensure that you monitor the level in the coolant tank as well - till the system stabilizes. This is important because otherwise you will end up back in square one. This also happened to me as I after reaching office casually checked the coolant tank again. It was again empty to the eye, but there was coolant in the tank but beyond the low mark! So, i topped up, the coolant mixed with water and came upto the brim. Then, I drove back home (without AC - just to be safe so that nothing else happens) and after reaching home, i went on a 30 min drive with the AC on, just to see if i face that same problem as earlier. Nothing happened, all systems were normal. The next day (ie today Oct 13, 2015) I came till office and checked the level, it still holds good. So people do keep this conditioning also part of your checks as well. Ride/Drive safe Trumpet!
	(2) Thanks

15th October 2015, 18:16	#289
bharatbits BHPian Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 471 Thanked: 634 Times	Re: What to do if your Engine Overheats on the road I need guidance from experts on this forum on the overheating issue that i am facing in my Indica V2 DLS 2008. My car engine overheats when i turn the AC on and run for around 6 kms. The coolant tank becomes completely empty and then the engine temperature starts moving towards red. Without the AC on i went around 100 kms and there was absolutely no heating issue. The coolant level was as it is. Look forward to inputs from experts here.
	() Thanks

18th February 2016, 14:55	#294
earthian BHPian Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Ahmedabad Posts: 611 Thanked: 2,131 Times	Re: What to do if your Engine Overheats on the road Guidance required - Coolant getting thrown out from reservoir issue: Santa Fe I require some advise since i plan to go on a 8000+ km trip to the NE after 9 days. Details of the car: - 2011 Santa Fe, serviced regularly. Last service just a month back. - Car has done 45K km - well maintained. I had sent the car to the Hyundai service station to have a quick look before i start on the journey and he came back today and said that the coolant level in the reservoir was low and even after topping it up, the car threw out the coolant on use. He said that he was keeping the car for a few days more to diagnose the issue. I asked him whether: The hydrocarbons or the CO2 test was done on the coolant reservoir? No, not done. Whether the oil showed signs of degradation? No, not there. ( oil was changed a month back) Whether the fuel pump was defective? No- since a belt-pully driven pump? ( can this also not fail?) Whether exhaust gases show signs of other fluid? No answer. Whether any leakage seen in the cooling system? No, not seen- but could occur when pipes get heated? whether temperature dial goes in red? No temperature of coolant? 93 degrees. Any issue with engine running? No, no issue checked the thermostat? No, not done. I plan to go tomorrow to check the car. What could be the possible reasons? Any other diagnosis that needs to be done? @dhanushs - Your flow chart was very good, but i reached a dead end with this case. @GTO - Thank you for starting this thread. Thanks in advance. Last edited by earthian : 18th February 2016 at 14:59.
	() Thanks

11th May 2016, 20:28	#296
lancer_maniac BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Bengaluruu Posts: 236 Thanked: 180 Times	Re: What to do if your Engine Overheats on the road My 2011 Cruze while travelling from cochin to calicut last month suddenly experienced power loss and the car was cruising in 30 to 40 km/h after that in spite of me giving full throttle.After travelling some couple of kms i stopped for having dinner.From there i checked the engine bay.It didnt show any signs of overheating and also the coolant meter inside was within normal range.As it was late night and me travelling with wifey didn't know what to do.Anyway we proceeded to have dinner and i kept the bonnet open till we were done,which took hardly 30 minutes.After that i drove and was surprised that the issue didn't crop up again.Reached Calicut safely (around 100 more kms)and till today that issue haven't cropped up again although after that i used it only for city runs.Thought of giving it to the service centre for a checkup but then the Chevrolet showroom here in calicut closed down 2 months ago.As I'm a little skeptical of giving it to an independent garage i want advice from Gurus here as whether its a serious issue and is it safe to drive it now ignoring that issue,though it runs smoothly now.
	(1) Thanks

21st June 2016, 22:35	#300
lancer_maniac BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Bengaluruu Posts: 236 Thanked: 180 Times	Re: What to do if your Engine Overheats on the road Mods,My Bad,Please delete this post Last edited by lancer_maniac : 21st June 2016 at 22:38.
	() Thanks