Is Your Car Overheating? Visit Your MINI Dealer Today

The idea of your car overheating is a nightmare for any driver. The temperature gauge on your dash is the best warning of rising temperature. If you see the gauge is going up, call your MINI dealer right away. The sooner we can investigate, the great the chance we can prevent damage to your engine. These are some signs that your engine is getting too hot.

Is Your Car Overheating? Visit Your MINI Dealer Today

Blocked Radiator

The radiator’s job is to remove heat from the engine. Heat is brought to the radiator inside the coolant. The coolant is directed into rows of metal tubes in the front of the radiator. Airflow from the radiator grille blows over the tubes and removes the heat. The now-cool coolant is recirculated through the cooling system to continue the process.

Coolant also absorbs dirt, metallic chunks, and other debris as it moves through the engine. This junk is deposited at the bottom of the radiator when the coolant flows out. If your radiator isn’t regularly serviced, this debris will build up and block it. A blockage prevents coolant from circulating, and your engine temperature will rise. We can clear your radiator by flushing it to remove the debris.

Broken Thermal Switch

The thermal switch is attached to a fan at the rear of the radiator. This fan cools the engine when your car is idling. When your car is moving, heat is removed from the coolant by airflow through the radiator grille. When your engine idles, airflow is restricted, and the temperature will start to rise. When this happens, the thermal switch detects the temperature change and switches on.

The fan will blow across the rear of the tubes and push the hot air out of the engine. If the thermal switch fails, the fan won’t start and your engine can overheat. We can easily replace a broken switch to fix this problem.

Loose Clamps

The radiator is connected to the rest of the cooling system by two rubber hoses. One of the hoses brings hot coolant into the radiator, and the other removes it when it’s cooled. These hoses operate under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions. They’re attached to the radiator with tough metal clamps that provide an airtight seal and prevent coolant from leaking out.

As your car moves, engine components are subject to small vibrations. The hoses also move as the hot coolant flows through them. Over time the hose clamps can loosen slightly. The high pressure in the system will cause coolant to leak out and raise your engine temperature. We can examine the clamps and replace them for you.

Overheating can damage your engine. Call us right away at Tom Bush MINI.

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