How To Keep Your Car From Overheating In Triple-Digit Temps
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The highway can be unforgiving at times especially in the triple digits, just ask Pablo Leon.
"(It's) hard to wait for the tow truck to pick up and it's hot. The heat and it's crazy," Leon said.
Routine maintenance can save you from smoldering on the side of the road and possibly something much worse.
"It usually tends to cascade into other events. You would not think inside an engine that there's a lot of things that can burn," Robert Labrash at Jiffy Lube said. "But there is a lot that can burn and ultimately that's where you would see the vehicle fire from."
Wednesday's Greenstone Fire was caused by a truck catching on fire. Cal Fire says it's unknown at this time if the car overheated or something else started the fire.
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Some drivers say that fire is a reminder that you need to be prepared to prevent anything from happening.
"It's maintenance. I mean you have to keep on top of it if you don't that's why you should occur," Olga Fonseca said.
"It's 107, 110. I mean that's just if your car is out of date, service you know you should really pay attention to it," Kris Sanor said.
That's something Leon plans on doing.
"(I'll) try to make sure nothing overheats again," Leon said.
There are some things you can do if you've broken down on the side of the road.
"The best suggestion I would make in the trunk of your car is to keep a bottle of antifreeze and also a jug of water. You can also have a mix. It's a 50/50 mix," Labrash said. "If someone is at home, what I would suggest to them is start with a cold engine and look at the coolant level."
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Plenty of people say they get this maintenance for the bigger picture and the little things too.
"Definitely always worried. I come in once a month because I travel a lot commuting every day," Fonseca said.
"I don't know if most people do. I know my 18-year-old son never thinks of it. So I'm always doing it for him," Michael Idanza.
Cal Fire told CBS13 that if your car's overheating, you should avoid low lying trees and dried grass. The overheating could result in wildfire fuel from sparking.
It's advice that drivers like Steve Maderos are heading.
"Pull over somewhere where there isn't trash," Maderos said. "There isn't dead weeds because your catalytic converter will cause that to catch fire as well."
