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Hot Tips for a Cooler Summertime Engine

While hot summer days are great for outdoor fun, they can be tough on your vehicle – just as brutal as the coldest winter day. In fact, AAA Colorado’s Emergency Road Service department is busiest during summer’s most scorching days.

The following tips can help prevent vapor lock emergencies (one of the most common roadside summer heat-related emergencies).

• Keep you’re A/C turned off during rush hour traffic. This reduces the strain on your engine and cooling system.
• If your engine does get hot then try the following.
• Set the heater on high and turn the fan to full blast. You’ll feel uncomfortable, but the extra cooling action on the engine may help. If it doesn’t, pull over, put the car in neutral and race the engine to circulate more air and coolant through the cooling system.
• If all else fails, pull off the road, turn off the engine, and open the hood for 20-30 minutes to let the engine cool down.
• Never pour water over a hot engine. You could damage the engine block. This can cause it to crack.
• Don’t continue to try starting the car. This can cause damage to the starter and/or electrical system.
• Your car most likely will restart in 30-45 minutes, if it doesn’t call AAA for a tow.