The thermostat that was installed in your automobile when it was assembled at the factory lasts between 100,000 miles and 150,000 miles. If you notice any of the problems listed below, we advise that it’s time to replace the thermostat. Do not worry. We can remove the old thermostat and install a new one at our auto service shop. The sooner you get the thermostat replaced the better to avoid engine damage caused by overheating.
A Thermostat That Is Corroded
Your car’s thermostat may give you a visual warning that it is going bad if it is covered in corrosion. This is a sign that the thermostat is leaking coolant slowly out of the coolant valve. Usually, this happens when the valve gets stuck in the closed position. The coolant will settle against the thermostat’s metal housing and eat away at it. This is what causes the corrosion.
Coolant Leaking on the Garage Floor
Eventually, the corrosion will cause a larger hole in the thermostat that will cause the engine’s coolant to leak all over the garage floor. When this happens, you run the risk of your engine overheating because the coolant level in the engine is reduced by the leak. It’s important to have the thermostat replaced as soon as possible to restore the engine’s coolant level.
Strange and Sporadic Temperature Changes
Your car’s thermostat may also start to malfunction when it gets too old. When this happens, you will see the temperature gauge needle on the dashboard move up and down between cold and hot erratically. Unfortunately, this is a sign that the thermostat is misreading the engine’s temperature. It should always release coolant once the temperature is approaching 220 degrees Fahrenheit. This keeps the engine’s temperature below this maximum temperature. If the thermostat doesn’t understand when to release the coolant, it will release it in sporadic spurts. This will affect your engine’s temperature as it will range between being too cold to being too hot.
Overheating All the Time
Finally, your engine will overheat all the time when the thermostat has gone bad. Generally, this is because the engine doesn’t have any coolant circulating through it. This could be because the coolant level is too low due to a leaking thermostat or because a malfunctioning thermostat is failing to send coolant into the engine when it needs it.
We here to help, so call us today to schedule a service appointment for a thermostat inspection and test.
