If the gauge is climbing now
- Turn the heater to hot on full to pull heat out of the engine
- Stop somewhere safe as soon as you can and switch the engine off
- Do not open the expansion tank or radiator cap while hot
- Let it cool fully before checking coolant level
- If coolant is low, look for obvious leaks or steam
- If it overheats again, stop and call us rather than pressing on
Common causes
- Coolant loss from hoses, the radiator, a housing or the water pump
- Failed thermostat stuck closed
- Radiator fan or fan control fault
- Air locks after a previous coolant repair
- Blocked radiator core or badly contaminated coolant
- Head gasket faults pressurising the cooling system
Why continuing is expensive
A repair that would have been a hose or a thermostat can become a head gasket or a replacement engine. Recovery to the workshop is nearly always the cheaper decision.
Recovery to our workshop
Call 07440 140340 — we can recover the vehicle directly to our Iver workshop, diagnose the fault and quote for the repair. Contact us to check current recovery availability.