You will find a coolant temperature gage and a low coolant level warning message on your vehicle's instrument panel. See Engine Coolant Temperature Gage and Low Coolant Level Warning Message. You also have a check gage message and a transaxle fluid hot message. See Check Gage Message and Transaxle Fluid Hot Message.
Notice: Driving with either the CHK GAGE message or the COOLANT message displayed in the message center and the Engine Coolant Temperature Gage on your instrument panel in the red zone could cause your vehicle to overheat. See Engine Overheating . Your vehicle could be damaged and the damages might not be covered by your warranty.
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. 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.
If you keep driving when your engine is overheated, the liquids in it can catch fire. You or others could be badly burned. Stop your engine if it overheats, and get out of the vehicle until the engine is cool.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.
If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
An overheat warning can indicate a serious problem. See Low Coolant Level Warning Message.
If you get an engine overheat warning with no warning messages, but see or hear no steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes the engine can get a little too hot when you:
| • | Climb a long hill on a hot day. |
| • | Stop after high-speed driving. |
| • | Idle for long periods in traffic. |
| • | Tow a trailer. |
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam, try this for a minute or so:
- If you have an air conditioner and it's on, turn it off.
- Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan speed and open the window as necessary.
- Try to minimize engine load. If you're in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N); otherwise, shift to the highest gear while driving.
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about 10 minutes. If the warning doesn't 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's still no sign of steam, you can idle the engine for three minutes while you're 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.
