Posted on 11/28/2025
Holiday traffic in Houston can turn a quick errand into a crawl. Engines hate that combination of slow speeds, long idles, and hot weather that lingers even late in the year. If you have ever watched the temperature gauge creep up while inching forward, you know the stress. The good news is that most overheating problems can be prevented with a little prep and a few smart habits in traffic. Why Heat and Traffic Raise Engine Temperatures At highway speed, airflow through the radiator is plentiful, so heat leaves the engine easily. In stop-and-go traffic, the car relies almost entirely on the electric cooling fan to pull air through the radiator and the A/C condenser. The engine stays hot, the A/C adds load, and underhood temperatures rise. If anything in the cooling path is weak, such as a tired fan motor or a partially clogged radiator, the gauge will start to climb long before you reach your destination. Common Causes of Overheating in Congested Driving ... read more