If you see steam escaping from under the hood and/or the engine temperature needle in your car starts to rise, your vehicle is most likely overheating.
What to do:
As you move your vehicle out of traffic, turn on the heater. This helps draw excess heat from the engine and cools it down. If the temperature gauge does not start falling right away, try turning the air conditioner on high. Many vehicles have a secondary engine cooling fan that only operates with the A/C on high. If the gauge needle won’t leave the red zone (or the temperature warning light stays on), find a safe place to pull over, turn off the engine, open the hood and wait for at least 30 minutes while the engine cools, then move the vehicle to a safe place. Do not attempt to continue driving the vehicle; doing so can cause severe engine damage.
IMPORTANT: Never take off the radiator cap before the engine has cooled. The coolant inside is hot and under intense pressure. If you open the cap, you will release an explosion of scalding fluid that can cause severe burns requiring immediate medical attention.