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Why Does a Car Engine Overheat?
by Jakob Jelling

There are many different reasons that can cause an engine overheat, but they all have in common three aspects. The three aspects which all engine overheat factors have in common are that they cause that the heating system can not get rid of heat, they cause a loss of coolant or they directly cause too much heat in the engine.

One first problem which might be the cause of an engine overheat is a problem with the radiator cap and the pressure it holds. If the radiator cap does not hold pressure correctly then coolant could boil and therefore the engine would overheat. Another reason might be caused by thermostat failures; it is recommendable that you check it.

The car engine might also overheat due to coolant leaks such as those from the radiator, the hoses, the water pump, the freeze plugs or any others. Also, problems in the water pump could be the cause and therefore you should check it and replace it in case it is needed.

Some other reasons by which the car engine could overheat are problems in the exhaust system which you can discover by checking vacuum readings, pipes and converter. Besides, you should also make sure that the radiator hose has not collapsed and the ignition timing is working properly.

You should also check the electric cooling fan by making sure that the fan motor, the relay and temperature are correct or otherwise it could cause the engine to overheat. Besides this, you should also check the radiator in case there are any debris in it as well as you should check its hose in case it has collapsed.

It is also recommendable that you check the antifreeze concentration which should be 50/50 in order to be correct, otherwise it could cause the car engine to overheat. If you do not find why your engine does overheat, you should ask a mechanic or an expert for advice. You should not try to fix this if you do not have the proper tools and general car knowledge necessary for it.

About The Author
Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.autorized.com. Please visit his website to learn about auto maintenance, auto insurance, auto safety and much more!

Asleep At The Wheel
Lauren Fix, The Car Coach®

Have you ever nodded off while driving only to be woken up by the edge of the road or even worse, hitting a road barrier or shooting off a curve into a ravine with no skid marks. Police are seeing more cases like this - it's attributed to falling asleep at the wheel. Research shows the chances are greater that you will fall asleep at the wheel and that an incident could occur in the early morning and most likely when the driver is an hour or so short of home. Police say that most people often succumb to drowsiness while driving. These people also tend to party the heartiest, push the limits, and try to push through sleep deprivation to get home before it's time to go to work. The easy answer for these types of people is to not start a long or short drive while tired, and don't continue it when drowsiness sets in.

Are you tired or fatigued?
Sleepiness and fatigue is not exclusive to drivers with inadequate sleep. Long, dull roads and sitting in one position for long hours is draining. The lack of varied stimulants on wide, endless highways is also a factor. Certain cars bestow a hum or flat noise that can put you to sleep at the wheel.
I've had to drive back from events where I thought I was perfectly awake, as I'd drive down the highway I'd suddenly get drowsy, no matter what I would do, within an hour my body seemed to just want to force my eyelids closed and start my head nodding.

You could choose to drive over the speed limit or seek an alternative route that is less constant in nature and more demanding of attention. Driving faster sounds like fun but it can earn you a nice ticket or even an accident for other reasons. Taking the longer path may just waster time too.

Personally I have found that listening to books on tape, talking on the phone (of course with a hands free device) and stopping every 2 hours at maximum works best. But if you are really tired - get a room and get some sleep. Resting in your car on the side of the road or at a rest area can be dangerous - especially if you have a leaky exhaust system.

The Bottom Line
If you insist on driving anyway, if you have even a fleeting moment of hallucinating, or realizing that you are at the edge of being asleep at the wheel. You can kill or be killed. Stop and do something about the situation.

Here are some other ideas to fend off drowsiness:
-Carry on an active conversation with a passenger.

-Listen to whatever involves you more on the radio - a talk show you can shout back at or music you can sing and tap along to while driving. Be alert to elevator music or music that makes you want to relax.

-Keep the interior climate a little on the chilly side. If the air get to warms it will give you the nods.

-Chew on something that is noisy, such as raw carrots, celery sticks, pork rinds or something a little spicy.

-Everyone thinks that the caffeine in coffee, cola or tea will work, but it will only work for a short period of time.

-Take an active break. Get out of the car and trot around for a few minutes. Stretch or do a few jumping jacks.

-Swap drivers frequently, if you have someone with you.

-The only sure thing is to stop and go to sleep, be sure to find a motel. If catnaps work for you, take a 10- to 20-minute snooze in the car with the doors locked. Just make sure to drive safely.

What To Do When a Hot Engine Is Hard To Start
by Jakob Jelling

Although usually engines exposed to cold weather is the most known problem related to car starting difficulties, hot engines might bring obstacles as well. Many people realize that the car do not start as easily as it should when the engine is hot and do not know what to do about it. In order to be able to overcome this problem, it is important to start by learning why it happens.

Most of the reasons by which a hot engine would be hard to start are based on problems related to the fuel. When the engine is too hot, fuel can't circulate properly due to the way in which vapor obstructs it and therefore the engine wouldn't start as easily as it should or it wouldn't start at all.

A car engine would keep on gaining temperature until a while after it was shut off. During this period of time is when the highest amount of vapor would be circulating around and therefore that is when the chances it obstructs the engine are bigger as well. This way, if you are driving in hot weather and you have just turned off the car in which you experience start problems, you should wait for a few minutes until starting it back.

Fuel injected engines do not experience this problem as much as others do due to the fact that the fuel remains inside the injectors by being under a very high pressure. This way, fuel injected engines would not become so easily obtruded by vapors as other engines would and therefore the car would not have the same problems to start as another would.

Also, engines might become hard to start while being hot if it coincides with the season in which refiners change from a fuel blend to another. Sometimes gasoline refiners change from a higher volatility fuel to a lower one when summer approaches due to the way in which hot weather causes fuel to evaporate easier. If refiners change back to a higher volatility fuel while the engine is still exposed to days of high temperatures, this could cause the fuel to evaporate too much creating too much vapor and therefore obtruding the engine.

About the Author
Jakob Jelling is the founder of www.autorized.com. Please visit his website to learn about auto maintenance, auto insurance, auto safety and much more!