Four Signs Your Car’s Thermostat Has Gone Bad

Your car’s engine will not get any coolant if the thermostat isn’t working. This is the cooling system part that keeps track of the engine’s temperature and releases the coolant when it needs it. A thermostat lasts about a decade, so if you drive a newer automobile, you shouldn’t have any problems with your thermostat yet. Righteous Auto Care advises that if your automobile is 10 years old or older, you may notice one or more of the following symptoms that point to a faulty thermostat. It’s important to get the thermostat replaced as soon as possible to avoid engine damage.

The first sign of a thermostat problem is a visible one. If you look at your engine thermostat and see that it is corroded, the thermostat has a slow leak. This leak can happen if the thermostat is stuck in a closed position. When stuck in this position, coolant seeps out of the valve and pools around the thermostat housing. Consequently, this coolant corrodes the thermostat. This minor leak is the beginning of a more serious problem that we will discuss further next.

This serious problem is engine coolant leaking onto your garage floor. If the thermostat begins to leak more seriously, you will see spots or puddles of the automotive fluid underneath the front of your vehicle. Unfortunately, this reduces the level of coolant in the cooling system and leaves you with the potential of overheating your engine. In order to resolve the problem, the leaking thermostat must be replaced with the new one to ensure that the coolant stays in the cooling system.

Aside from leaks, the thermostat can also begin to malfunction once it gets too old. When this happens, you may notice that the needle on the temperature gauge goes up and down erratically. This is an indication that the engine is getting coolant in spurts, which will cause it to overheat when it is starved for coolant and cool it down significantly when it receives the coolant. Erratic temperature changes are definitely an indication that your vehicle’s thermostat is in trouble.

As we briefly mentioned above, leaks can make your engine overheat and so can erratic temperature changes. If the thermostat is not working at all, your engine will overheat quickly after you start it. This is an indication that the engine is not getting any coolant.

Righteous Auto Care in Racine, WI, would be happy to test your car, truck, or utility vehicle’s thermostat and replace it if necessary. Give us a call today.