Why is my car overheating and what should I do?

If your temperature gauge climbs into the red or you see steam from under the hood, pull over to a safe spot and shut the engine off. Continuing to drive an overheating engine can warp the cylinder head, blow the head gasket, or crack the block — turning a routine fix into an engine rebuild.

Common causes in Central Texas heat include low coolant from a slow leak, a stuck-closed thermostat, a failing water pump (often preceded by a whining noise or coolant leak from the weep hole), a dead radiator cooling fan, or a partially blocked radiator. Any of these needs a proper diagnosis rather than 'top it off and hope.'

Have the vehicle towed to us if you can — the tow bill is always cheaper than an engine. Once it's here we'll pressure-test the cooling system, verify thermostat and fan operation, and give you a written repair estimate before doing any work.