You will find a coolant temperature gage on your vehicle's instrument panel. See Engine Coolant Temperature Gage .
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
Caution: Steam from an overheated engine can burn you badly, even if you just open the hood. Stay away from the engine if you see or hear steam coming from it. Just turn it off and get everyone away from the vehicle until it cools down. Wait until there is no sign of steam or coolant before you open the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is overheated, the liquids in it can catch fire. You or others could be badly burned. Stop your engine if it overheats, and get out of the vehicle until the engine is cool.Notice: If the engine catches fire because of being driven with no coolant, your vehicle can be badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be covered by the vehicle warranty.
If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get an engine overheat warning but see or hear no steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes the engine can get a little too hot when you:
| • | Climb a long hill on a hot day. |
| • | Stop after high-speed driving. |
| • | Idle for long periods in traffic. |
| • | Tow a trailer. See "Driving on Grades" under Towing a Trailer . |
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam, try this for a minute or so:
- In heavy traffic, let the engine idle in NEUTRAL while stopped. If it is safe to do so, pull off the road, shift to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL and let the engine idle.
- Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan speed and open the windows as necessary.
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about 10 minutes. If the warning does not come back on, you can drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your vehicle right away.
If there is still no sign of steam, idle the engine for three minutes while you are parked. Push down the accelerator until the engine speed is about twice as fast as normal idle speed for at least three minutes while you are parked. If you still have the warning, turn off the engine and get everyone out of the vehicle until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service help right away.
