Overheating is not uncommon in scorching Nigerian summer. If you find your dashboard temperature gauge begins to escalate or an indicator of malfunction beams, here are solutions to quickly cool down your car.

Your car may overheat in situations like moving down an inclined terrain or in traffic jams

1.

Turn off the air conditioner, then open the windows to reduce the workload on the engine, thereby cooling it off a little bit.

2.

To further cool off the engine, switch the heater and blower on, it helps to blow the heat from the engine to the cabin. Remember to open the windows point the vent towards one of them so you won’t get uncomfortable by the heat.

3.

If you get stuck in traffic while the temperature gauge is going up, gearshift into Park or Neutral, then gently rev the engine: By doing so, the fan and water pump speed up, then the radiator gets more air and liquid through, which let down the temperature.

4.

Try to minimize braking because brake drag adds up the load to the engine. If the traffic is heavy, try to crawl slowly instead of repeatedly move up and brake.

5.

In case you feel like your car is going to boil over, get to the side of the road and open the hood to let the engine to cool off. Remember not to open the radiator cap. Also, if your engine has already boiled over, remember not to add water until the engine is less hot enough.

Remember not to open the radiator cap and not supply water until the engine has been already cooled off

The hot weather in Nigeria is the most common culprit of the overheating problem. However, there are other factors you should keep an eye on, including:

• The coolant and water in the radiator are running low
• There is a leak somewhere in the cooling system
• If you can’t find any leak, the thermostat might be failed.