Three Signs My Car’s Thermostat Has Gone Bad and I Need a New One
If you drive an automobile that is 10 years old or older, Total Auto Care advises that it’s time to start thinking about a new thermostat. This is about how long the thermostat lasts, and if this cooling system part fails, you’ll end up with a handful of problems that we are going to list below. It’s important to get the thermostat changed when it needs to be changed to avoid causing unnecessary engine damage. Let’s talk about the automobile thermostat, what it does, and the signs that it is going bad.
1. Leaking Coolant
Your car, truck, or C/SUV’s thermostat is responsible for keeping track of your engine’s temperature and releasing the coolant into the cooling system when your vehicle needs it. The thermostat has a valve that opens and closes to control the coolant flow. When the thermostat ages, it can begin leaking engine coolant. Coolant can also seep out of the thermostat if the valve is stuck in the closed position. In most cases, you won’t know that your thermostat is leaking engine coolant because it will pool around the housing and corrode it. This being said, it may leak enough coolant that you will see spots on your garage floor.
2. Erratic Temperatures
If the thermostat is having difficulties understanding your engine’s temperature and opening and closing the valve sporadically, you may notice that your engine temperature is going up and down erratically. You can tell this by keeping an eye on the temperature gauge on your vehicle’s dashboard. Your temperatures should slowly rise when you first start your automobile and stop at normal. It should stay there as long as you are driving your automobile. If it bounces up and down between being hot and cold, this is a sign that the thermostat is not managing the coolant release properly.
3. Overheating Engine
Unfortunately, both of these things can cause your engine to overheat, and this is what we meant when we mentioned engine damage in the introduction to this blog. If you drive your automobile when the engine is too hot, you can damage it severely, including cracking the engine block. If the thermostat is leaking coolant or unable to control the engine temperature, your engine may go hot and stay there. Your engine may also overheat if the thermostat is failing to understand that it needs coolant and, as such, not releasing any into the cooling system.Total Auto Care in North Branch, MN, is here to help. Call us today if you believe your car’s thermostat has gone bad.