If your truck is overheating all the time, head straight to our shop. Continuing to drive the truck when the engine is too hot could cause serious damage including a cracked head gasket, a cracked engine block, or a cracked exhaust manifold. It is important to have the cooling system serviced every 30,000 miles to make sure it is operating as it should be. If your truck is overdue for this service, you may have one or more of the following problems that are making the truck overheat.
Related Articles
Clogs in the Cooling System
Part of a cooling system service is flushing the cooling system to remove all of the dirt that builds up inside of it. This includes the dirt and sediment that build up inside of the radiator. Unfortunately, if the cooling system gets clogged, you may not have coolant circulating through the engine because it cannot get past the buildup of dirt and grime. This will make your truck’s engine overheat.
Leaks in the Cooling System
The cooling system can also start to leak as the parts wear out. This includes things such as the seals and gaskets, the radiator hoses, the thermostat, the water pump, and the radiator. If you have coolant on the garage floor, we recommend you avoid driving your truck to further damage the engine by overheating it. Rather, have your truck towed to our shop so we can find the leak and fix it.
Faulty Parts in the Cooling System
We mentioned above that the thermostat or water pump can start to leak. Usually, when either of these cooling system parts leaks, the leak begins as a slow one that corrodes the thermostat or water pump. Eventually, the corrosion eats through the thermostat or water pump and causes a greater leak. In addition, both parts can start to malfunction if they get too old. This will cause your truck to overheat.
A Problem With the Radiator
Finally, the radiator itself can get clogged with sediment or can start leaking if the bottom has been eaten through by rust and corrosion. In addition, the radiator fan can malfunction if it is too old or your truck has an electrical system problem. Aside from both of these problems, the radiator will also struggle to cool the coolant that has circulated through the engine if the air inlets are clogged.
Call us today to schedule a service appointment for your truck if the cooling system needs to be serviced or the truck is overheating.