Is It Safe to Drive A Car That Is Overheating? The short answer is no. If your car is overheating, you could damage the engine by continuing to drive. Cars use coolant or antifreeze to control engine temperatures. Parts like the water pump push coolant through the cooling system. In the front of your car, cooling fans blow air over the engine compartment. The radiator also sits at the front of your car. It has an inlet where antifreeze or coolant enters the radiator. The radiator works like a heat exchanger. It helps cool down the fluid before it makes its way back to the engine again. The thermostat watches the engine temperature. It opens or closes based on the temperature and signals when the fan should switch on and off. Modern cars have coolant temperature sensors and coolant level sensors. These sensors track and adjust engine control systems. The engine is not designed to operate outside of a safe operating temperature. Modern car modules, computers and parts need to be protected from excessive heat. Beyond the risk of blowing a head gasket, driving a car that is overheating could warp or melt other parts in the engine compartment. Click on the link below and ask our mechanic for details