It is extremely important that you are able to identify the warning signs of possible car overheating. While it may seem like an unlikely problem, it can happen more often than you think.
Overheating is an engine killer. But when it is happening intermittently, it is even harder to figure out the exact problem causing it. Just like in the case of engine overheating when idling.
The engine overheats when it is not receiving enough cooling fluids, usually due to a faulty water pump, radiator problems, lack of coolant fluid, or low oil.
This article aims at pointing out the key problems that can cause your engine to overheat when idling and its solution.
Table of Contents
Carbon Deposits & Overheating Engine
As the engine runs, carbon deposits build up in many parts of your engine, most notably inside the cylinder walls. This causes less space for the oil to flow between cylinders and creates resistance against the crankshaft and the camshaft.
This resistance builds up heat that is conducted into the coolant. Over time this will cause your car to overheat at idle or in stop-and-go traffic.
A more severe problem with carbon build-up is that it can cause hot spots where oil doesn’t flow through as readily, creating deposits and causing the engine to overheat. As these hot spots and deposits continue, they could start breaking down the metal in your engine.
Once the surface of a cylinder wall is compromised, it is only a matter of time before you need an overhaul or even a new engine.
Another important thing to remember about carbon build-up is that it can lead to a complete engine failure by causing the pistons to lock up or causing valves in the cylinder head to stick.
The worst thing about this is that you could be driving along, and all of a sudden, your car dies in traffic without any warning. This kind of failure typically occurs between 60,000 and 100,000 miles when it’s been building for a while since carbon build-up causes oil to thin out and be less effective.
Why Overheating is Bad For Your Engine?
Car overheating is usually a sign that your car needs to cool down before you can go any further, and it’s something that happens when the engine temperature gets too high. The car’s normal operating temperature should be around 120° F. Still, if your engine continues to run hotter than this for an extended period of time, it will most likely cause irreversible damage to your engine.
Overheating of the engine will cause the coolant to boil. When the coolant in the engine has reached boiling temperature, it will turn into steam.
The force of the expanding vapor blows out weak cylinder heads and gasket sealing surfaces, cracks blocks, bends connecting rods, breaks rings, and freezes up oil cooling systems.
If you have ever seen what happens when a boiler explodes, you have an idea of what happens to the engine when the coolant boils.
The truth is that most of us have been letting our engines overheat for years, and we never knew it until it is too late and we total an otherwise good car.
Reasons Why Your Car Is Overheating When Idle
Following are the main reasons that may cause your engine to overheat when idling:
- A Broken Radiator Fan
- Low or No Coolant
- A Bad Thermostat Valve
- Clogged Radiator
Let us explain these problems a bit:
1. A Broken Radiator Fan
A broken radiator fan is the chief cause of your engine overheating when idling. When your car is moving, airflow is responsible for carrying the heat from hot coolant flowing in the radiator.
But when the car comes to a stop, it is the cooling fan that keeps the engine heat down. It does so by removing heat via forced convection (forced method of heat transfer)
Radiator fans are of two types mainly. One is the electric fan, and the other is the belt-driven fan. In the case of electric fans, you can have a faulty switch or relay that prevents the cooling fan from coming on.
On the other side, a loose fan belt will not allow the fan clutch to engage. Due to this cooling fan will not function when it is required.
Thus, whenever you face the issue of car overheating while idling, you must check your radiator fan. Get it replaced or repaired if needed.
2. Low or No Coolant
Another reason is that the coolant ran low or completely leaked out. So due to little or no coolant in the system, your car starts overheating.
This often happens when the cooling system has not been refilled after draining it, increasing use (such as increasing off-roading airflow through the radiator), inadequate cooling fan(s) function, or after a repair that involved opening the cooling system.
Sometimes you get a low coolant level just because of the climate of the area you are living in.
To deal with this issue, you must use high-quality coolant with the proper boiling point for your riding conditions (i.e., don’t use a 50/50 mix if it’s going to be over 120F outside).
3. A Bad Thermostat Valve
The thermostat valve is responsible for switching on the radiator fan when the car comes to a stop. So, if your radiator fan is not coming while idling, it is highly likely that your thermostat has gone bad.
If your car overheats while idling due to a bad thermostat. Then the only possible solution is to replace it. The replacement cost of a thermostat is somewhere between $150 and $250 depending upon the make and model of your car.
4. Clogged Radiator
Cars have a radiator to cool the engine, just like your home air conditioning system. As you drive, oil pumps through the engine that is made up of small passages that channel the oil to the parts of the engine that need it most.
Heat causes water to expand, so as you drive, water flows into the radiator, where it is cooled by the air that passes over it. As this happens, you are losing water at a rate of about one quart per 1000 miles.
But if your car’s radiator is clogged, then the process of heat transfer would not be as efficient. As a result of which, you will see consequences like engine overheating.
You can get your clogged radiator serviced for less than $100. This might do the trick for you. However, if you have to replace the radiator, it will cost you no less than $1,200.
By keeping the proper amount of water in your radiator at all times, you can prevent a lot of damage to your car.
Is Your Car Overheating When Idle? (False Alarms)
If the temperature gauge on your dashboard is in red space, it does not necessarily mean that your car has an overheating problem. However, it is true that the engine overheats when the systems responsible for keeping the engine cool fail.
But it is equally true that when any temperature sensor in the electrical sensor malfunctions, it will show false engine temperature readings on the temperature gauge.
Just like in the case of a bad coolant temperature sensor. Which is responsible for reporting the engine temperature. When it malfunctions, you might get false alarms of engine overheating.
So, whenever you receive a signal or see a symptom of engine overheating, do question yourself first, is it really due to some underlying problem, or is it just a false alarm.
Conclusion
The probable reasons for engine overheating when idle include a clogged radiator, broken radiator fan, low or no coolant, weak water pump, or a faulty thermostat.
It will take someone with the right diagnostic equipment to find out for sure.
It is also possible that you are getting false signals of engine overheating. A mechanic could hook up a scan tool to see if any of the sensors are reading hot and providing false data, or they can drive the car and see what the engine temp is doing and also see if the cooling fan comes on at all times.
I recommend that you have a qualified mechanic diagnose the overheating issue and perform any required repairs to resolve it.
If you have a flat or cracked radiator, if the engine cooling system is low on water, or if there are any leaks in the engine block around the cylinders or around the head gasket, you should not drive your car until they are repaired. If you do, you will probably damage your engine to the point that it will become irreparable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can overheat cease my engine?
Yes, overheating can most definitely cease the engine of your car. Or at least it will give you a blown head gasket. The engine is nothing but a combination of several moving components. Excessive heat can kill all these components.
This way, overheating can cause serious damage to your vehicle’s engine, frequently resulting in a complete replacement of the engine or, at a minimum requiring expensive repairs.
Why is my car only overheating when idle?
When your car is moving, the air flows past the radiator. This carries away all the heat trapped inside the hot coolant. However, when the car is not moving, no air is passing over the engine. This may cause the car to overheat. Since there is no aiding or helping mechanism present to keep the engine cool.
Why is it important to maintain the coolant flow?
Coolant is the soul of the cooling system of your car. Whenever your car overheats, it is mostly due to a low coolant level. It does not matter if all other cooling system components are working fine. If there is no coolant or low coolant level in your car, it will pose overheating problems.
Can a bad radiator cap result in overheating problems?
Yes, a bad pressure cap can contribute to overheating problems. The cooling system of your vehicle works by allowing water and antifreeze (coolant) to flow through the engine block and out into the radiator, where the air is pumping through and cools the engine.
The radiator then expels this hot liquid into a passage that sends it back into the engine block. The water pump then pumps this liquid through the engine again to cool it down even more. Awesome, right? Well, not when your radiator cap isn’t working like it’s supposed to!
A bad cooling system pressure cap can allow pressure to build up in your vehicle’s cooling system. This causes the water and antifreeze to become so hot that they will literally start to boil.
This boiling liquid isn’t good for many reasons, but mainly because it won’t be able to transfer heat effectively throughout your cooling system as it should.
Also, this excess heat can cause the cooling system hoses (the ones you can see on top of your radiator) to bulge and possibly even blow out.
Is it common for old cars to overheat when idling?
Yes, old cars tend to have more problems related to overheating when idling. It becomes really difficult for old cars to maintain normal operating temperature. The main reason behind it is the weak components of the engine cooling system.
If the main parts of the cooling system, like the water pump, are not pumping coolant into the engine, then it is bound to overheat.
Plus, an old engine has carbon deposits built up inside it. It is another reason for an overheating engine.
