If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine - Saturn 2004 L-Series Owner's Manual

If No Steam Is Coming From Your
Engine
An overheat warning, along with a low coolant light, can
indicate a serious problem. See Low Coolant Warning
Light on page 3-33.
If you get an engine overheat warning with no low
coolant light, 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.
5-28
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or so:
1. If you have an air conditioner and it's on, turn it off.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. 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 ten 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 is 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.