There is an engine coolant temperature gage on the vehicle's instrument panel. See Engine Coolant Temperature Gage .
The vehicle might have an ENGINE COOLANT HOT message displayed in the Driver Information Center (DIC). See DIC Warnings and Messages .
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. 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 the vehicles engine is overheated, the liquids in it can catch fire. You or others could be badly burned. Stop the engine if it overheats, and get out of the vehicle until the engine is cool. See Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode for information on driving to a safe place in an emergency.Notice: If the engine catches fire while driving with no coolant, the vehicle can be badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be covered by the vehicle warranty. See Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode for information on driving to a safe place in an emergency.
If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If an engine overheat warning is displayed but no steam can be seen or heard, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes the engine can get a little too hot when the vehicle:
| • | Climbs a long hill on a hot day. |
| • | Stops after high-speed driving. |
| • | Idles for long periods in traffic. |
| • | Tows a trailer. |
If the overheat warning with no sign of steam, try this for a minute or so:
- Turn the air off.
- Turn the heater on to the highest temperature and to the highest fan speed. Open the windows as necessary
- If you are in a traffic jam, shift to N (Neutral); otherwise, shift to the highest gear while driving -- D (Drive) or 3 (Third).
If overheat warning no longer displays, drive the vehicle. Just to be safe, drive slower for about 10 minutes. If the warning does not come back on, 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 the vehicle is parked. If warning is still displayed, turn off the engine and get everyone out of the vehicle until it cools down. Also, see "Overheated Engine Protection Operating Mode" later in this section.
You might decide not to lift the hood but to get service help right away.
