A Puzzle Every Texas Driver Should Understand
Here’s a situation we see all summer at our shop: a driver cruises down US-75 with the temperature gauge sitting right where it should be. Then traffic backs up near the construction through Anna and Melissa, the car slows to a crawl, and the needle starts climbing. Speed back up, and it drops again. If that sounds familiar, your car is telling you something specific — and it’s worth listening.
Why Traffic Changes Everything
At highway speed, air rushes through your radiator naturally, carrying heat away without much help. In stop-and-go traffic, that airflow disappears, and your car depends entirely on its electric cooling fan to keep the engine at a safe temperature. If your car only overheats when you’re sitting still or creeping along, the most common cause is a cooling fan that’s weak or not kicking on at all. Other culprits include a low coolant level, a sticking thermostat, or a radiator clogged with debris and grime — all problems that hide at highway speed and show up the moment traffic stops.
Don’t Push Your Luck in July
An engine that runs hot occasionally becomes an engine that overheats badly, and in Texas summer heat the margin for error is thin. Warped cylinder heads and blown head gaskets are some of the most expensive repairs in the business, and they often start with a small cooling problem someone decided to live with.
Let Us Find the Real Cause
At Kwik Kar of Van Alstyne, our diagnostic process pinpoints exactly why your engine is running hot — fan, thermostat, coolant leak, or radiator — so you’re only fixing what’s actually broken. Every repair is backed by our 2-year/24,000-mile warranty, and our Digital Vehicle Inspections show you the problem before we touch a wrench. Call 903-290-1786 or visit 1015 W Van Alstyne Pkwy and take the guesswork out of that climbing temperature gauge.