The quickest way to pull heat out of the engine is by getting water across the radiator, this quadruples the cooling capacity of the radiator ; however this isnt without risk. You would usually trickle water thru the fins not just dump a whole lot in.
How Long Does It Take for a Car Engine to Cool Down? Even if you have a car cooling system that's working perfectly, the engine is still going to be very hot right after you turn your car off. You'll need to give it at least half an hour, if not 45 minutes, to cool down completely.
A portable AC is a great way to keep the car interior cool and comfortable. Other ways to cool your car include windshield shade, window tint, seat covers, car covers, and a portable fan.
No harm will probably be done, especially if the engine is still running. If the engine is not running, some damage could be caused by thermal shock.
In general, it's because something's wrong within the cooling system and heat isn't able to escape the engine compartment. The source of the issue could include a cooling system leak, bad radiator fan, faulty water pump, low engine oil level, or thermostat failure.
1 Wait until the engine is cold
It's extremely important that you wait at least 3 hours after using the vehicle for the engine to cool down. Pressurised water may escape the reservoir when you unscrew your coolant cap, if the engine is hot then this can scald the skin so please be careful.
You can only drive an overheating car about a quarter-mile or 30-60 seconds. If you notice any of the warning signs mentioned above, it's not advisable to continue your journey. Instead, you should call a recovery truck and get towed to a local garage for a repair.
It can cause extreme damage to the engine and even lead to a fire. Pull over if your temperature gauge starts to tick up too high.
Radiators are heat exchangers used for cooling internal combustion engines, mainly in automobiles but also in piston-engined aircraft, railway locomotives, motorcycles, stationary generating plants or any similar use of such an engine.
If you do not have proper radiator coolant with you, then you can top up your radiator with water in an emergency — but only in an emergency. Water is not a good substitute for coolant because of its long-term effects on your vehicle's health. But it is better than nothing.
The furthest you can drive an overheating car is about a ¼ mile before you risk irreversible engine damage. While some vehicles could still make it as far as 20 miles, we would never recommend driving very far with an overheating engine.
If your car's engine overheats, pull over as soon as it's safe to do so. Turn the car off and call for a tow, even one instance of engine overheating, if severe enough, can permanently damage the engine.
Put your car in neutral or park and then rev the engine. This makes the fan and the water pump work faster, which pulls more air and more water through your car's radiator. This increased circulation cools down the engine. Pull over and open the hood.
If your engine is overheating but the coolant is full, there may be an issue with the radiator or cooling system as a whole. This could be caused by anything from a mechanical fault of the radiator fan to a damaged expansion tank.
Wait until the engine completely cools — at least 30 minutes. You might be able to speed up the cooling process if you can pop the hood with a latch located inside the car cabin. But, do not touch or attempt to open the hood until the engine is completely cool. Check the coolant/antifreeze reservoir.
Under normal circumstances, there's little to no effect on your engine temperature. But if the temperature gauge goes up when the AC is on, something is amiss. The problem can often be isolated by turning off the AC and watching if the temperature begins to return to a more normal state.