Turn Off the Car
It can be pretty nerve-wracking to see your vehicle heat up while in motion. But it can be even scarier if your car overheats while idle! If your engine temperature warning light comes on while you're sitting in park, it's best to go ahead and turn your car off to avoid long-term damage to the engine.
Once the engine has cooled completely, open the hood to check a few of these common problem areas that could be causing your idling INFINITI to overheat.
Car Overheating Causes
The radiator fan is malfunctioning.
The fans near your engine have the essential job of pulling excess heat away from the engine, so it doesn't continue to build up. If your INFINITI is overheating while idling but cools back down when you start driving, this could be a sign of a malfunctioning engine fan.
When at a standstill, your car has no airflow current to help pull heat away from the engine. As you drive, however, air gets forced under the hood, which helps cool the engine. Similarly, if an engine fan or fan motor is broken, turning off the air in the cabin can cause the engine to heat up fast since the A/C can temporarily help pull heat away from the engine.
Another way to see if your fan is the problem is to turn on the engine. The engine fan should kick on once the motor warms up, which can take about 10-20 minutes if you're starting it from cold. If the fan isn't turning on, it's time for some troubleshooting.
Additionally, check the engine belts. If the engine fan belts are frayed, cracked, or broken, the fans cannot do their job, and heat can build up under the hood rather quickly. If there is an electric radiator fan, test it by turning the air conditioning on to see if the fan starts up.
You can also check the area in front of the radiator to make sure there are no objects obstructing air flow. Look for a buildup of debris like leaves or plastic bags that can cause air flow to be blocked. Keep the area in front of the radiator clean and clear for proper airflow.
You're low on coolant.
If you have low coolant, heat can build up in your engine rather quickly. Coolant has the critical role of circulating through your engine, gathering excess heat, and shedding it in places like the heater core and radiator. Check for low coolant levels only when the engine has cooled down completely. Your engine coolant flows through a pressurized system, and opening it while it's hot can spray piping-hot antifreeze all over the place.
Once it's sufficiently cool, however, check to see if your coolant is low. Check your INFINITI owner's manual to determine the specific type of antifreeze for your model before topping off the coolant system.
Additionally, air trapped in the coolant hoses inside the cooling system can cause overheating issues. You'll need to bleed the air from the coolant system to get your radiator back up to full operation. – This should be done only by a qualified technician. – Air in the cooling system could be a sign that there is a coolant leak somewhere in the system. Have the system checked by a qualified technician.
Your coolant mixture is also critical to the performance of your vehicle's cooling system. The proper mix of ethylene glycol to water is important to ensure your cooling system can provide proper heat absorption and release as well as freeze protection.
Your water pump is malfunctioning.
Your car's water pump pushes coolant throughout the cooling system. If the water pump is broken or malfunctioning, the coolant fluid will sit stagnant in the system and not perform its job of removing heat from the engine. A bad or failing water pump can display a few distinct symptoms, like steam coming from the engine, a leak toward the front of your vehicle, or a whining sound from a bad or loose pulley.
There's an issue with your temperature gauge.
A rising temperature gauge doesn't necessarily mean an overheating car. If there's an issue with your INFINITI's thermostat, the temperature gauge on your dashboard could be giving you false results. Certain things may trigger false readings on your INFINITI's temperature gauge, such as a loose radiator cap, a malfunctioning temperature sensor, or another gauge malfunction.
It's best to bring your car into an INFINITI service center near you and have a professional test your temperature gauge to see if the gauge is the source of the problem.
Keep Your Engine Cool with Genuine INFINITI Parts
Is your INFINITI getting a little too hot before you've even left the driveway? Help your engine stay cool by repairing or replacing engine cooling system parts with genuine INFINITI parts. Find what you need in our online parts catalog, and head to a service center near you for help.