What should I do if my car is overheating and steam is coming from the bonnet?
Example of this symptomWhat to do immediately:
- Pull over immediately in a safe location and turn off the engine.
- Do NOT open the bonnet or the radiator cap—boiling, pressurized coolant can cause severe burns.
- Turn your car heater on full blast (this pulls some residual heat away from the engine block).
- Call our recovery line; do not attempt to drive the car any further.
How we fix this at Coventry Service Centre
We use specialised pressure-testing equipment to locate the exact source of the leak—whether it is a cracked radiator, a split coolant hose, or a seized water pump. We replace the failed component, flush the entire cooling system, and refill it with manufacturer-approved antifreeze to protect your engine from future temperature spikes.
Seeing steam billowing from under your car’s bonnet is a clear, urgent indicator that your engine is severely overheating. This critical issue occurs when the cooling system can no longer manage or dissipate the intense heat generated by the internal combustion process. Driving an overheating vehicle even for a short distance can warp the engine block, blow the head gasket, or permanently destroy your entire engine.
The most frequent culprit behind a steaming engine is a sudden loss of coolant, usually caused by a ruptured radiator hose, a cracked radiator, or a failing water pump. Alternatively, a stuck thermostat can block coolant from circulating through the engine altogether, or a broken radiator cooling fan may fail to draw air through the system when idling.