Car Care: Avoid overheating on a holiday trip

Leaking radiators and burst hoses cause overheating problems on the road.

Summer heat and full loads test the family car’s cooling system

Whenever I walk past a busy workshop I usually put my head in the door and have a look at what's keeping the mechanics busy.

Wearing overalls and having my head under the bonnet was what I did for a living for many years before moving off the tools and into other mechanical-related roles within the industry. But I've never forgotten my roots, and have always held a good mechanic in the highest regard.

As the modern motor vehicle moves deeper into the world of electronics, the old stagers like me are best to stand aside and leave the actual diagnosing and hands-on bits to the new wave of technicians who come with a whole new skill set these days. But there are still some things that never change, regardless of modern technology, and in the motoring world that is the need to have a vehicle serviced correctly.

As vehicles age there is a tendency to reduce the amount of money spent in regular servicing and have work carried out on an as-required basis only, which is fair enough.
Why pour lots of money into a vehicle that has a diminishing value?

But like buying a vehicle, servicing should be done to ensure a vehicle is fit for purpose and that's where some owners can get caught out judging by my recent head-in-the-door local garage visit.

My wife and I spend a lot of time in the Coromandel these days and over the summer months the population swells considerably with both holiday-makers and motor vehicles. That often means the seemingly reliable inner city family car is going to be hit straight between the headlights with a sudden expectation of being capable of carrying the family to a faraway destination heavily loaded and often in the heat of the day.

The result can be a holiday that ends in tears because the car has suffered from the extra load being placed upon it whether it be a towing weight, occupants filling every available seat plus luggage, or a combination of both.

One garage I call into for a regular chat recently was overflowing with work as a result of a stream of salvaged vehicles that had overheated. Three of the five vehicles in the no-go line-up were destined to have secondhand motors fitted because of the extent of the damage.

While the makes and models were different, they all suffered from the same problem which was overheating due to lack of past servicing on their cooling systems.

The other common denominator was vehicle age with initial build dates stretching back to around 2005 or older.

The year 2005 doesn't seem that long ago but those vehicles are due to celebrate their 10th birthdays sometime soon. And ask most new vehicle distributors and they will say around 10 years is the expected lifespan of many mechanical components and that includes cooling systems.

Reasons for overheating on the vehicles I saw ranged from partially blocked or leaking radiators, burst hoses to corrosion related issues within the cooling system plumbing itself. No doubt every one of those vehicles was, in the eyes of their owners, all good to go prior to the family holiday because around town, with a much lighter load and shorter runs, there may have been no apparent issues.

Hot summers and heavy loads for long periods mean engines need to be cooled more efficiently to help keep temperatures within safe operating levels.

Cooling systems have also become a lot more efficient in recent years in the quest to improve fuel consumption. The quicker an engine heats up the more fuel efficient it becomes so flow and the amount of coolant required at a given time is very carefully controlled. Great when everything is new but things can quickly turn to custard when age and deterioration kick in and forgiveness levels within the heart of the engine diminish.

No question motor vehicles are becoming a lot more reliable these days but the need to keep them well serviced remains. In the past it was a host of potential mechanical issues which kept road service operators on their toes come holiday time, but I strongly suspect overheating is currently near the top of the list, especially over the hot summer months and when owners are a long way from home.

So if you're still to get away for a break this summer, then ask your preferred repairer to check the vehicle over before departure. If you have returned unscathed then don't assume the next trip will yield similar results. Pay a visit to my mates on the tools; they know best.