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Overheating is the fastest way to destroy an engine. A blown head gasket or warped head can cost ₹80,000-3,00,000 to repair — but catching coolant loss early costs almost nothing.
In our network we see these in roughly this order. Diagnostic comes first — never authorise a repair without a written diagnostic report.
Visible coolant under the car or in the engine bay. Top up only with the SAME coolant brand and grade. Drive to workshop within hours, not days.
Engine takes forever to warm up OR overheats quickly. Thermostat stuck closed = overheating; stuck open = poor heater performance.
Common at 80,000-1,20,000 km on most cars. Symptoms: coolant leak from a specific point near the front of the engine. Often replaced with timing belt.
Overheats only in traffic, fine at highway speeds. Fan motor or relay failure. Cheap fix (₹2,500-8,000) before head-gasket damage occurs.
Pull over IMMEDIATELY. Turn engine off. Wait 30 minutes. Check coolant level only after engine is cool (never open hot radiator cap). Top up if low. Drive to workshop — or tow if temperature climbs again.
In an emergency, yes — but only enough to get to a workshop. Pure water has worse heat-transfer properties than coolant and can rust the cooling system. Replace with proper coolant within 24h.
Just 1-2 minutes of overheating can warp aluminum cylinder heads. The cost difference between catching coolant loss early (₹500 top-up) vs ignoring it (₹2,00,000 head replacement) is enormous.
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