Summer is officially in full swing, and after a weekend of balmy weather for many parts of the UK, the weather this week has so far been maintaining a fairly toasty temperature.
And while that's good news for sunbathers and beachgoers, it will be leaving some motorists wanting to tear their hair out, as hot weather puts your car at an increased risk of overheating and breaking down.
But it turns out there is something you can do to try and keep your car engine cool even when temperatures are soaring - but unfortunately, it won't make your journey very pleasant for you.
According to experts at Nationwide, one of the easiest temporary fixes if your car is overheating is actually to turn the heating on. As crazy as it sounds, turning your car's heater on could actually help cool your vehicle's engine down and stop it from overheating, and can be a simple solution in a pinch.
Nationwide states on its website: "Turning on the heat might be the last thing you want to do on a hot summer day, but it can pull hot air from the engine compartment and cool the engine. It won't fix the underlying problem, but it's a good measure for long drives until you can have the car inspected and repaired."
And the idea is backed by Elite Auto Experts too, who said that if you find your engine overheating and you can't pull over safely, then turning your heating on might help you in the short-term.
They said: "Turn on your vehicle's heater till you find an area to park. This is not just rumour or lore. Make sure the air conditioner is off, and crank that heat.
"Blasting your heater can pull a bit of heat away from your engine. Transferring the heat buys you some time until you can safely pull over. In some cases, this move may be enough to reverse the overheating process. Regardless, you will need to stop your car as soon as you can to give it at least 15 minutes to rest."
Turning your heating on will be uncomfortable for you as a driver though, so if you'd rather take a different approach, the RAC states there are other options you can try - including keeping your car parked in the shade in hot weather.
On the RAC website, a list of precautions you can take to prevent overheating includes:
- Keep your car cool in the summer by parking in the shade and using sunscreens to keep your interior cool.
- Keep an eye on your temperature gauge and coolant levels, adding coolant whenever necessary to a cool engine, and letting your car cool down if needed.
- Carry extra coolant in your car so you're able to fill up your fluid levels as and when needed.
- Get the air flowing by opening windows and floor vents to let warm air escape the cabin and help keep your car’s temperature down.
- Check your car in with a mechanic to have your cooling system flushed out and cleaned. Mechanics recommend having this done every 40,000 miles.
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