I drove my overheating car for a few kilometres on the 401. Did I wreck the engine?

Toronto Star · Brian Early · 2026-10-31 09:00 UTC

Permanent damage is possible — and the initial service may have been entirely unnecessary.

The engine bay of a 2019 Hyundai Kona with the non-turbo 2.0 litre engine. Visible just to the left of the warning sticker (lower centre) is the cap for the coolant reservoir. The radiator pressure cap is the round item diagonally right, beside the hood release lever. Other engines used in this model have a common cooling system cap.

Seen to the right of this 2015 GMC Sierra HD pickup is a coolant flush machine. By Tee-ing into the upper radiator hose with adapters, this machine uses a built-in pump and reservoir to exchange fresh coolant with the used coolant coming out of the engine. While this greatly reduces the amount of air introduced to the cooling system, the technician would still need to ensure that air had been removed.

Seen in use on a 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe, this special funnel that has adapters that fits where the radiator pressure cap goes allows technicians to maintain a full coolant level while purging the air from the cooling system. If the system is opened for maintenance or repair, air can become trapped throughout, and it must be removed for proper operation.

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