A truck engine overheats for various reasons but considering what your truck endures, especially when driving in hot weather, it really shouldn't come as much of a surprise. The heat from the asphalt and that surrounding the truck all contribute to your truck overheating.
Then there's the temperature from running your truck that you also have to factor in.
The internal combustion engine is made of several rotating components. Some of these parts rub against each other, causing friction. Whenever there's friction created from metal components, there will be immense heat generated in the process.
Driving with an overheated engine can cause severe damage to an engine's core components and, in certain instances, even render them non-functional.
This can compromise your truck’s performance since it won't generate the right power it needs to accelerate the vehicle. It also won't provide energy to other parts of your vehicle that depend on it.
For instance, pistons in an overheated truck engine can expand and seize in the cylinder bore. This can cause damage to the cylinder heads and truck engine block, ultimately leading to an underpowered truck.
In light of these reasons and more, familiarizing yourself with the warning signs that your engine is overheating can prevent you from causing serious damage to your truck.
Here is a list of direct signs that should help you recognize an overheating engine so you can react swiftly to remedy the problem.
Temperature Gauge Reads Above Normal
If your truck is overheating, you should see a warning light flash on your dashboard. However, the warning light cannot always be trusted to inform you whether you have an overheated engine since the temperature sensor can be faulty.
The best thing to do is get the engine running and note the temperature reading using your engine temperature gauge or digital readout. Every truck has either of the two within its instrument cluster, and it works by measuring the temperature of your truck’s coolant.
You should pick out the gauge from the letters' C' and 'H' for cold and hot. In normal circumstances, the needle should point to somewhere near the middle of the gauge or read between 195 degrees and 220 degrees.
As you drive your truck, the gauge might fluctuate a little, but this shouldn't be much of a concern. If the metering pin gravitates towards the 'H' of your temperature gauge, then your truck is most likely in need of some mechanical attention.
Steam From the Engine Indicates Cooling System Failure
A cloud of steam coming from beneath the engine compartment is a sure sign of excess heat in your engine.
The steam often looks like smoke, but it is vapor, and it could mean that your coolant is so hot that it's evaporating. Your vehicle's cooling system needs coolant liquid to reduce the heat in core parts such as the engine and radiator through the coolant passages.
Check your coolant level from the coolant reservoir tank and if the levels are low, feel free to add coolant.
It could also be that the coolant is getting so hot that it is boiling over, spilling through the radiator cap, and leaking onto the ground. So, check if there's a small puddle of coolant underneath your truck after parking for a while.
An engine overheating could cause components in your engine's cooling system to crack, leading to a coolant leak. If that's the case, your cooling system cannot cool your engine well enough for it to perform efficiently.
Compromised Acceleration Performance
Difficulties in acceleration or maintaining speed is another sign of an excessively hot engine. This is because the cylinder's pistons in an overheated engine will expand, limiting the rotation ability of the crankshaft.
This means the engine will not be able to generate the power it needs to accelerate the vehicle.
An overheated engine tends to be sluggish or might take longer than is usual to accelerate past a certain speed so pay careful attention to how it responds when you accelerate.
Unusual Smell or Ticking Noise from Engine
If you notice a strange smell coming from the engine when it heats long enough for it to start burning oil, it could be a sign of your truck overheating.
If you can hear a ticking sound, it means your engine oil is not lubricating the parts of your engine that are in motion as well as it should. Once the engine oil overheats, it loses its lubricating qualities and acts more like water than oil.
If your engine components are clacking against each other with no lubrication, expect them to undergo wear and tear quicker than you otherwise would have.
A distinct odor that smells 'hot' is another indicator that your engine oil is overheated. As the temperature increases, the plastic valves, resin, and rubber seals holding your engine together may start to melt. What follows after is a release of unusual fumes that most people would describe as a 'hot' smell.
The smell could also mean that your coolant is leaking. Coolant contains ethylene glycol, which can fill your truck with a 'sweet' smell in case of a leak, so that is another thing you should also look into.
Regular Service Can Help Prevent Vehicle Overheating
Picture driving your truck on a nice summer day, but then disaster strikes. Your engine starts smoking, and you have to pull over.
There's virtually no summer horror movie that's complete without such a scene, and you definitely wouldn't want to be caught in a similar situation.
Taking note of the warning signs listed above can help you react quickly so you can reduce the risk of severe damage to your truck and an expensive trip to the mechanic.
If you suspect your truck is overheating, stop driving and find a safe place to pull over and switch off the engine. Then, allow it to cool for at least 20 minutes as you observe the temperature gauge.
For roadside assistance, you can call Cornerstone Mobile Service at +1 (833) 567-9929, so we can dispatch a trained mechanic to do any auto repair that might be needed.
They will look at potential cooling system leaks, coolant flow, and any other reason behind your truck overheating so you can get back on the road as soon as possible.