Written by: Emily Joswiak • July 7, 2020• Cars

Why Would a Diesel Engine Overheat?

Summer is here, temperatures are rising, and the heat is oppressive. People can overheat in the summer sun quickly, and so can cars and trucks. A human can stay cool by sweating, diving into a pool, or chilling in the air conditioning of the house all day. Cars aren’t so lucky, and they bear the brunt of the heat. Car engines are more likely to overheat in the summer months, but the reasons may vary. Why would a diesel engine overheat? Here are a few reasons to watch out for.

Bad Cooling Fan

The fan located by the radiator brings cool air into the engine. Any problems with the fan or the clutch assembly responsible for moving the fan will lead to overheating. Make sure the fan is turning freely by moving it with your hand when the engine isn’t running. Check the coolant sensor, thermostat, and the fan motor to make sure they are all working. Failure of any of those parts will lead to overheating.

Problems With the Coolant

Checking the engine fluids, especially the coolant, and making sure there are no issues is the easiest thing to do. Check to see if there is enough coolant in the reservoir first, then check its condition. Cloudy coolant means that there is a leak somewhere else, and other liquids, like oil, might be mixing in. Top off the reservoir whenever it’s low and remember that there isn’t enough in the radiator if there’s not enough in the reservoir.

A Faulty Water Pump

The water pump has an important job because it’s responsible for circulating the coolant throughout the engine to all vital parts. When the seals fail, the coolant doesn’t get dispersed, and the diesel engine starts to overheat. The seals keep the coolant and pressure within the system from escaping. If they start to fail, then the coolant will leak into the engine, and the pump will have to work harder to move the coolant. The extra work shortens the life of the pump, causing it to fail prematurely. If that were the case, then you might have to replace the water pump with something similar to a honda water pump nz or elsewhere.

Malfunctioning Fuel Injectors

If the fuel injectors aren’t firing properly and sending fuel into the chambers, the engine will have to work harder. The lack of fuel means that all the pistons aren’t firing, and the ones that are firing are working harder to make up for the others. That leads to overheating and potentially catastrophic engine damage. Fuel injectors get clogged by buildups of deposits in the injector nozzle. A quick inspection of the injectors will tell you if they’re clogged. If so, they are easily cleaned, and the engine will work at full capacity again.

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