If your car, truck, or utility vehicle is older than 10 years, you’re going to need to replace the thermostat soon. Crossroads Automotive can swap out the old thermostat for a new one if your vehicle is having any of the following four problems. These are problems that point directly to the thermostat. It’s important to have the thermostat changed as soon as possible to avoid severe engine damage. Unfortunately, the faulty thermostat is going to make your engine overheat and this can damage the engine beyond repair if you continue to drive your automobile. Let’s talk more about all of this below.
1. Corroded Thermostat Housing
If you take a look at your thermostat and see that it is corroded, you have a slow leak most likely out of the coolant valve. The coolant valve is opened and closed by the thermostat to release the coolant into the engine when it needs it. If the coolant is leaking out of the valve, it will pool around the thermostat and start to eat away at the metal housing. Consequently, you will see corrosion on the housing.
2. Coolant Leaking on the Garage Floor
Eventually, you may end up with coolant leaking on the garage floor because the thermostat has developed a severe leak due to the corrosion. As the coolant leaks out of your vehicle, the levels will be reduced and your engine will start to overheat. The engine will continue to overheat until you replace the thermostat because topping off the coolant will only cause it to leak out of the engine.
3. Strange and Erratic Temperature Changes
You may look at your thermostat and see that everything looks fine. The thermostat may never develop a leak. If you are experiencing strange and erratic engine temperatures, however, the thermostat is malfunctioning. The thermostat reads the engine’s temperature and then opens the valve to release the coolant to keep it cool. A malfunctioning thermostat may fail to do this or do it at the wrong time. Consequently, you will see the needle on your temperature gauge move up and down erratically.
4. Engine Overheating Constantly
Naturally, all of these things are going to cause your engine to overheat constantly, and as we mentioned above, driving an automobile with an overheating engine will damage the engine. As such, it’s important you replace the thermostat as soon as possible to restore the engine’s normal operating temperature.
Call Crossroads Automotive in Topeka, KS, today to schedule an appointment for your automobile if it is experiencing any of the problems listed above.