Example: Hiace Overheats on the M-2 Salt Range Climb
Illustrative example based on typical jobs. It doesn't describe a specific customer.
- Where
- M-2 between Kallar Kahar and Balkasar
- Vehicle
- Toyota Hiace (passenger van, diesel)
- Service
- Breakdown Recovery
The situation
In a typical job like this, a full Hiace climbs the Salt Range on a hot afternoon. The temperature gauge rises, steam comes from under the front, and the driver pulls onto the hard shoulder on the slope.
How a job like this is handled
Passengers off and behind the barrier
A van full of people on a sloping shoulder is a serious risk. Everyone gets out on the side away from traffic and waits behind the barrier.
Do not open a hot radiator
The crew warns the driver not to open the radiator cap while the engine is hot, because boiling coolant can spray out and burn.
Check the cause
Once it cools, the crew looks for a split hose, a broken fan belt or a leak. A small fault can sometimes be fixed on the shoulder.
Recover on a suitable truck
If the engine cannot run safely, a flatbed rated for the Hiace's weight loads the van with wheel chocks and straps on the slope.
Help with onward travel. The crew helps the driver contact the operator or arrange onward transport for passengers, then delivers the van to a workshop.
The outcome
In a job like this the passengers are kept safe on the shoulder and the van reaches a workshop before a hot engine turns into a seized one.
What drivers can learn
- Watch the temperature gauge on long climbs; stop early if it rises.
- Check coolant level and fan belts before taking a full van over the Salt Range.
- Never open a radiator cap on a hot engine.
- Get passengers off the shoulder and behind the barrier.
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