Immediate action is required if your engine overheats. This is indicated by the coolant temperature gage and the Engine Temp Hot message on the trip computer display. See Engine Coolant Temperature Gage and Trip Computer for more information.

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.

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.

An overheat warning, along with an Engine Temp Hot message can indicate a serious problem.

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:

If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam, try this for a minute or so:

1. In heavy traffic, let the engine idle in NEUTRAL (N) while stopped. If it is safe to do so, pull off the road, apply the parking brake, shift to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) and let the engine idle while you get out and check that the cooling fan is working.
2. If the fan is working and the temperature gage needle has not returned to its normal position within a few minutes, stop the engine and remove the ignition key.

Look for leaks at the radiator hoses and connections, heater hoses and connections, radiator, and water pump. Be careful when checking these areas as they will probably still be hot. If you find a major leak or other problems that may have caused the engine to overheat, do not run the engine until these problems have been corrected. If you do not find anything wrong, you should check the engine coolant level. See Engine Coolant . You should also check the air intake area below the front bumper to ensure that it is clear of leaves and road grime.

3. Turn off your air conditioning and 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 and you have 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.

You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service help right away.