Q: Car is overheating

asked by on October 26, 2016

I was driving to work and the car overheated, opening the hood, it was steaming and coolant was spraying out of a hose near the alternator. The fan also doesn't seem to be turning on. What's the best course of action?

My car has 180000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

Hi there. From the description you have provided, there are several things to address concerning your vehicle overheating. Given the location described, it could be, the bypass hose that blew. This could be the result of hose degradation, which would mean all the cooling system hoses need to be inspected. It could also be, the result of a stuck thermostat. The thermostat should be replaced, as it may have been damaged by the engine overheating. The inoperative cooling fan may have also caused the bypass hose failure. It could be, a cooling fan fuse, cooling fan relay, cooling fan temperature sensor causing the inoperative radiator cooling fan. I recommend your vehicle’s overheated engine be diagnosed and repaired by a certified technician, such as one from YourMechanic

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