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Step 1
Make sure that the car's fluids are at the proper levels. Too little engine coolant, for example, will lead to the car overheating much faster than normal.
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Step 2
Take your car in for routine maintenance and service checks. The fluids may be low because of a leak that you are unaware of. These checks will find such problems and fix them before the car overheats. The mechanic will also inspect the car's temperature gage to ensure that it's working properly.
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Step 3
Avoid over-use of the air conditioning while in the car. Blasting the air conditioner on maximum for a half hour can lead to a car overheating. Instead, run the air on high for only a few minutes and then bring it back down once you're comfortable inside of the vehicle.
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Step 4
Don't make the engine work harder than it has to. For example, there is no reason why you should stomp on the accelerator at random times to see how much “power” your car has. Doing this simply works the car's engine harder, thus increasing its temperature. Keep a steady pace while on the road (regardless of what speed you're driving at) to prevent the engine from working too much.
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Step 5
Keep your eye on the engine temperature needle. This will be the first sign of the engine overheating. If the needle begins to head towards the red, turn your heater on high. Doing so will take the heat from the engine and into the car. You'll probably want to roll down a window when doing this.
