A vital warning light on your dashboard demands immediate attention, as if you ignore it you could be looking at serious engine damage, turning what might be a small problem into an eye-watering repair bill. During any long drive, your motor naturally heats up considerably thanks to the power it's churning out.
Your vehicle comes equipped with a cooling system designed to protect your engine from heat damage, keeping temperatures at the sweet spot so everything ticks over nicely. That said, various parts of this cooling system can pack in, leading to your engine running dangerously hot.
Should this happen, your vehicle will sound the alarm via a dashboard warning light, usually shown as a red thermometer with red wavy lines beneath it. Modern cars with digital displays might also flash up the alert on screen, often with an audible warning to boot.
You need to pull over and switch off your engine at the earliest safe opportunity. The reason is that even covering a short distance with an overheating engine can inflict serious harm on the mechanics.
A frequent consequence of running an engine that's too hot is head gasket damage, which will set you back around £662 on average to sort out, the RAC reports. In more severe scenarios, your engine could shut down entirely, and depending on what's gone wrong and your car's make, you could be facing a bill running into thousands.
After you've pulled over safely, activated your hazard warning lights, and stepped out of the motor, it's wise to pop the bonnet open if you can manage it and allow the engine to cool off for a minimum of 30 minutes. The RAC strongly warns against trying to unscrew your car's radiator cap whilst the engine's running hot, as the coolant remains scorching and the pressure that's built up might cause the boiling liquid to spray out, which could lead to serious burns.
The cooling mechanism in your motor comprises various parts, each of which can pack in without warning. That said, one of the most frequent culprits behind an overheating engine tends to be a lack of engine coolant.
Have a look at your coolant reservoir positioned close to the radiator to verify there's adequate coolant present (certain models feature a 'minimum' marker that indicates whether sufficient coolant is circulating through the system).
Should you discover that even after filling up the coolant your motor continues to overheat, it's recommended you have it examined by a qualified mechanic who can properly identify and remedy whatever's causing the overheating issue.