Overheating? What to do

Recently, a discussion concerning “what to do if your car overheated” came up in our group. The topic came about when we were talking about an incident wherein a guy pulls up to a gas station (because his car was overheating), parks the car, pops the hood and the gas attendant immediately pours water into the radiator. Not sure though who told the gas attendant to pour water into the radiator, but the story goes that the gas attendant made a huge mistake. After everything, the engine was toast, resulting in a huge repair bill.

So we were talking what exactly should one do if ever a car does overheat. Should you just turn off the engine and just let he engine cool down, or should you pour water into the radiator? Well, for starters, if your car does overheat, try and get off the road and if possible, try and park it where you will not be an obstruction to other vehicles. Once your car is in a safe location, turn the air-conditioning off and pop the hood to see what’s going on. If you have access to water (with the engine still running), start pouring water on the radiator, not only on the top portion but also try forcing water along the fins of the radiator. Also, check the coolant reservoir tank, (be careful as hot water or steam may come out) and make sure that it’s filled with water.