Vancouver drivers should watch for engine overheating as temps rise

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — A Vancouver car mechanic says drivers should keep an eye on for their vehicle’s operating temperature, because the heatwave can impact engine performance.

Bernie Pawlik, from Pawlik Automotive, says with the heat comes a greater risk of your vehicle’s engine overheating.

“That being said, cars are built to handle this kind of heat. In California or Arizona, people are driving in this kind of temperature all the time. So, even the cars we have can handle the heat, no problem. It’s just that, if you haven’t maintained your vehicle very well, things could start showing up.”

If you’re worried about your car overheating, Pawlik recommends shutting off the air conditioning if you’re driving up a steep stretch of road.

Related Articles:

“We want to be a bit cautious if you’re going up a steep mountain grade. Say in Vancouver for instance, if you’re going up Cypress Bowl, you’re just going uphill, uphill, uphill. It’s a lot of heat being generated. So it would be a good idea to shut your air conditioning off while while you’re going up that hill.”

However, Pawlik says newer vehicles probably won’t have any issues.

“Vehicles that are well maintained also should not have a problem. But sometimes, once you have a vehicle that’s maybe 10 years old, you don’t really know whether the radiator’s partially plugged. That just kind of happens over time, and this kind of weather will test out those sort of things.”

Pawlik recommends keeping an eye on your vehicle’s temperature gauge, if it has one. He also adds while it’s normal for your car’s air conditioning system to drip with condensation, if your engine starts leaking out pools of green or red fluid, give your mechanic a call.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today