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Can you tell your car is overheating without a gauge?
Is there any way to tell if your car is overheating without a gauge? My daughter drove home from work the other day and told me that the hood of her car was hot, but we’re not sure if it was actually overheating. How can we tell?
Joshua Levy · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Telling whether your car is overheating without a gauge can be hard, but there are several warning signs you should look out for. While none of these signs guarantee your car is overheating, any of the following signs could be a symptom of a bigger problem:
- Hot hood. Feel the top of your hood. If it feels especially hot, it could be the result of an overheated engine.
- Ticking noise. Normally oil lubricates your moving engine pieces. But when the oil heats up, it won’t work as well. The ticking could mean your oil is too hot and your car is overheating.
- Leaking coolant. If you find coolant leaking from your car, it could mean that there’s not enough left to keep our car cool. This can make your car more susceptible to overheating.
- Hot smell. Overheated bits of rubber, plastic, and oil release an unpleasant but specific kind of smell. If something smells wrong, you should trust your nose and get your engine checked out.
- Steam from the hood. This can be a sign that your engine is boiling coolant or other engine-fluids.
- Lower engine power. When your car overheats, it will stop performing at its best. A sudden power reduction could be caused by an overheating engine.
If you experience any of these signs, it may be worth getting your car checked out. While overheating can usually be solved easily, it can lead to other, more costly problems when left untreated. If you have
mechanical breakdown insurance
, your provider may even help cover your trip to the mechanic or repair shop.More often than not, your policy won’t cover normal wear-and-tear damage. But it’s always best to check with your provider. If you’d like to find more coverage or make a change, try the
Jerry
app. As a licensed broker, the Jerry app can help you find and compare quotes from top insurance companies in minutes! And if you’d like, Jerry can even help you buy a new policy and cancel your old one.Best of luck with the car, and hopefully your car stays in good shape!
View full answer
- Gregory R.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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