You cannot drive your car, truck, or utility vehicle if the thermostat is malfunctioning. Without a functioning thermostat, coolant will not be released into the engine to keep everything under 220 degrees Fahrenheit. MotivWerks advises that driving your automobile with an overheating engine could damage the engine beyond repair. This is why it’s important to get the thermostat replaced at the first sign of trouble. Here are indications that the time to do this is now.
Leaking Thermostat
The thermostat opens and closes a valve that releases coolant into the engine once it detects the temperature is high enough. A thermostat lasts about 10 years, after which it might not open the valve. If the valve remains in the closed position, the thermostat may begin to leak engine coolant onto the garage floor. You will see the spots or puddles of coolant pooling underneath the front of the engine.
Corroded Housing
Before this happens, however, the thermostat may develop a minor leak through the closed valve. In this case, the engine coolant will puddle around the thermostat housing and corrode it. You can see this corrosion if you visibly inspect the thermostat. Unfortunately, this can be an indication that the thermostat is malfunctioning and the valve is stuck in the closed position. This will create a huge problem when the engine needs coolant to reduce the temperature under 220 degrees.
Erratic Temperatures
Another sign that your thermostat is malfunctioning is erratic engine temperatures. In other words, the engine’s temperature will go back and forth between cold and hot. This is a signal that the thermostat is unable to release the coolant when the engine needs it. It is also a sign that the thermostat is releasing too much coolant into the engine, and, as a consequence, the engine is running too cold. If you keep an eye on the temperature gauge on the dashboard, you may see the needle going up and down erratically.
Overheating Engine
All of the above problems will cause your engine to overheat. If the engine is leaking coolant, the levels may get too low, and, as a consequence, there will not be enough coolant circulating through the engine to keep it cool. If the thermostat isn’t releasing the coolant when the engine needs it, this, too, will cause the engine to overheat quickly once you start your automobile. Call MotivWerks in Chambersburg, PA, today if you suspect that your car’s thermostat is going bad. We can replace the thermostat if it needs it.