by Moe Zilla

Created on: July 18, 2010

It's surprisingly easy to fix this problem, since it's one of the most common situations that car-owners will encounter. Here's the two  top causes of a car engine running hot - and the simple but effective things that you can do to fix them!

1. The oil is getting low. Sometimes it's as simple as that. The engine powers the vehicle, so it's constantly running, and as the gas burns and the pistons chug, you need oil to lubricate some of the car's most important internal movements. Everyone knows that the oil in the car will get low over time, and that even if it's topped off, it will eventually break down over time and start to become less effective. If your oil levels are low - or your oil hasn't been changed out before it's broken down - this means your engine is going to have to work harder to produce the same performance.

When the engine is working harder, this means that it's going to start to heat up, and the needle on your temperature gauge will start moving to the "H". In some cases, you can solve this problem simply by checking your oil levels, and adding in more if your oil is getting low. If that doesn't do the trick, check your maintenance records to see if you're due to have your oil changed out and replaced altogether!

2. Your coolant is getting low. I once drove across the United States with a car that had a leak in the radiator overflow tank where the water was stored. The car could only drive for a few hours before, drop by drop, the water would drain away until it was almost empty. But it was an educational experience, because I got to see that the engine will always overheat just as soon as the water levels get dangerously low. And more importantly, I learned that if you replenish the water levels, it will drain all that heat away from your engine, and the engine will return to normal temperatures.

The most important advice about adding water to the radiator is to wait until the engine has cooled down a little first. Otherwise you're adding that cold water against hot, hot metal - and there's a chance that the temperature difference will cause a crack. But if you keep your water at the proper levels, you shouldn't have to deal with this problem!

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