You will find an engine coolant temperature gage on the instrument panel cluster and a COOLANT OVER TEMP message on the Driver Information Center (DIC). See Engine Coolant Temperature Gage and DIC Warnings and Messages .
Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode
If an overheated engine condition exists and the messages COOLANT OVER TEMP and REDUCED ENGINE POWER are displayed, along with the Check Engine light, an overheat protection mode which alternates firing groups of cylinders helps prevent engine damage. In this mode, you will notice a loss in power and engine performance. This operating mode allows your vehicle to be driven to a safe place in an emergency; you may drive up to 50 miles (80 km).
Notice: After driving in the overheated engine protection operating mode, to avoid engine damage, allow the engine to cool before attempting any repair. The engine oil will be severely degraded. Repair the cause of coolant loss, change the oil and reset the oil life system. See Engine Oil .
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. See "Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode" under Engine Overheating for information on driving to a safe place in an emergency.Notice: If your engine catches fire because you keep driving with no coolant, your vehicle can be badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be covered by your warranty. See "Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode" under Engine Overheating for information on driving to a safe place in an emergency.
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. |
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 (N) while stopped. If it is safe to do so, pull off the road, shift to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) and let the engine idle.
- Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan speed and open the window 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 and you are not stopped, pull over, stop, and park your vehicle right away.
If there is still no sign of steam, you can idle the engine for 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. Also, see "Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode" listed previously in this section.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service help right away.
