Thermostat:
What is it?
Every car has a thermostat. The thermostat in you car regulates the engine coolant temperature to cool off your engine. Thermostats don’t have an average lifespan. So there is no real recommended time to replace them. That is why it is important to get your check engine light read as soon as you can when it pops up or know what to do if it suddenly goes bad.
How does it work?
As the car heats up to 200 degrees, the thermostat opens (heat causes things to expand) and opens to allow circulation of the coolant thru the coolant system (which is a series of pipes that are housed around/ thru the engine) when the engine cools down enough (cold causes things to contract) it closes. When the thermostat goes bad it gets stuck, or doesn’t open which causes your car to overheat, or if it gets stuck in the open position it causes the car to be too cool which causes bad emissions, and bad efficiency, and accelerates wear.
- What are signs I need to get mine fixed?
- Your heat isn’t working that well.
- Your check engine light is on
- Your engine is overheating
- Coolant leaks under your car
- Car overheats within 15 min
Thermostats usually go bad pretty fast and the symptoms of it going bad can also be a few other things: a failing water pump, radiator, fan, or even a loose drive belt. To be sure have you mechanic check it out!