What action should be taken if engine temperature rises during operation?

• A. Reduce load, verify coolant level and pump operation, and abort to a safe return if temperature continues to rise.
• B. Increase load
• C. Ignore
• D. Change course

Answer: (A)

When an engine starts to overheat, the first priority is to get heat under control and verify the cooling system is doing its job. Start by reducing engine load so the engine isn’t generating as much heat, giving the cooling system a chance to catch up. At the same time, check the cooling system: confirm the coolant level is correct and that the water pump is circulating coolant properly. If the temperature continues to rise after these checks, abort to a safe return so you can bring the engine to a full stop in a location where you can inspect and service it without risking damage. Increasing load or ignoring the warning won’t help and won’t fix the underlying issue, and changing course doesn’t address the engine’s temperature problem.