How to Cool Down Your Car Fast

Severely overheated engine, Saint-Denis-d'Orques; France in 1965

Whether it’s your engine or cabin burning like hot oven, you need to cool down your car fast to keep it in good running condition and to ensure a comfortable ride. Here are tips to cool down your car fast.

Overheated Engine

When you sense that the engine is overheated, pull over right away in a safe place and stop the engine. Running an overheated engine can cause serious damage to your car, but it’s does not immediately do harm to your car as long as you let it cool down.

If you can’t pull over right away, turn on your hazard and drive very slowly and steadily. Turn off air conditioner and all other accessories. Roll down the windows to ventilate the cabin.

Porsche_804_cooling-fan

Once parked, see if your car isn’t too hot (no visible steam and hood is not super hot to touch) and then open the hood. Keep your keys in the ignition so that your hazard lights and dashboard remains working.

See if you the radiator cap is okay to touch. Remove the cap and check the coolant level, refill if necessary but only when the car has fully cooled off. Keep tabs of engine leaks. If you don’t have extra coolant, use water temporarily.

Once your car has cooled completely, try to restart your engine. If it doesn’t work, have your car towed and serviced.

Hot Interiors / Cabin

See if your air conditioners or blowers are working properly. You should have them cleaned and checked regularly especially during extreme weather conditions. If your AC is working okay, switch to fresh air setting and run your AC at a higher setting.

Roll down your windows for a few minutes to let hot air out. Once the inside starts to cool down, roll up the windows and turn AC back to normal settings. Switch circulation setting to recirculate to prevent hot air from outside to come in.

Severely overheated engine, Saint-Denis-d'Orques; France in 1965

Another trick is to run the AC and then in several alternating motions – open and close the car doors or windows until the air is properly circulated with the hot air drawn outside with the constant opening and closing of door.