When the temperature outside starts to rise, do you start to sweat about your car overheating?

Any car older than seven years with more than 50,000 miles is a probable candidate for boil over. Your car heats up every time you run it, which creates wear on all the cooling system parts, including hoses, belts, thermostat, and the radiator.

If your car starts overheating, it's probably caused by one of the following:

1. Insufficient coolant - When the temperature warning light goes on, you may be low on coolant. After the car cools, check the coolant and fill to the proper level with a 50/50 mixture.


2. Dirty or rusty coolant - It's time to flush the cooling system.


3. Hose deterioration - If your hoses are spongy, hard, or start to swell around the hose clamps, it's time to replace them.


4. Sticky thermostat - If the engine takes too long to heat, it means your thermostat is stuck in the open position and needs to be replaced.


5. Worn fan belt - If your fan belt is cracked, fraying, or starts to squeal, it is probably slipping. Replace worn belts and check for proper belt tension.


6. Sludge or rust in the radiator - When your engine overheats and there is goo visible in the radiator neck, it's time to clean or replace the radiator.


7. Coolant overflow - Loss of coolant through the overflow pipe usually means a leaky radiator cap.

It's a cool idea to keep your car's radiator in good condition, especially in hot weather.