What to do when car overheating

[easonliu]

It's some of my experience to share...

Car overheating is caused by a lack of coolant or lack of coolant flow. It'll damage the engine if don't fix it.

You should turn off the engine first.
When the car has cooled completely, open the hood.[That is really important. Or you may be scalded.]

Check the coolant reservoir tank first. The reservoir can be filled when the engine is hot

Open the radiator cap with a rag. Examine the radiator. Look inside and see if there's coolant left. If needed, fill to the top of the radiator.

Check if the upper or lower radiator hose, or any of the heater hoses, hasn't burst.

Restart the engine.
Watch the temperature gauge obsessively. Don't let the needle go into the red. Turn off the engine if the gauge approaches the red zone.

Besides, it's OK to add just plain water or antifreeze in an overheating, emergency situation. When routinely adding or changing coolant, always use a 50-50 mixture of water and antifreeze.