What should you do if your car starts to overheat?

If your car starts to overheat, the best course of action is to pull over and stop the vehicle. This is crucial because continuing to drive an overheated engine can lead to severe damage, including a blown head gasket or a ruined engine block. By stopping the vehicle, you allow the engine to cool down, which can prevent further overheating and possible mechanical failures.

When you pull over, it's also advisable to turn off the engine and wait for it to cool down completely before attempting to open the hood or check any fluids. This approach helps mitigate the risk of burns from steam or hot engine parts. After the engine has cooled, you can investigate the issue further and decide whether to seek assistance or add coolant if necessary.

While turning on the air conditioning or driving faster might seem like logical responses, they can actually exacerbate the overheating issue. The air conditioning system places additional load on the engine, while driving faster may further increase the engine's temperature due to higher RPMs. Opening windows for ventilation does not effectively reduce engine temperature either, and it focuses more on passenger comfort rather than addressing the car's overheating problem.