Overheating

Here's a nightmarish situation: you're stuck in traffic and the check engine light comes on. The needle on your temperature gauge is headed toward HOT. You can smell the steaming radiator and you know you'll have to pull off the road. Do it as soon as possible, warns the Car Care Council or you may cause serious damage to the engine. And, to make matters worse, your overheated engine can lead to a damaged automatic transmission. Both are protected by the same cooling system. Double jeopardy!

But what if you can't pull off the road at once? Turn the heater to full hot. Why? The heater has its own radiator, which absorbs some of the excess heat. Turning the fan to its highest setting can minimize damage.

When you do get off the road, do not .... repeat, DO NOT touch the radiator cap while the engine is hot. You could be scalded by boiling antifreeze. Unless you're qualified to deal with an overheated engine, call for help.

The Council offers that scenario as a reminder to have your car's cooling system checked and serviced. It could save you a lot of money and inconvenience.

For more maintenance tips log on www.carcarecouncil.org