thermostat replacement

What does a thermostat do?

A car’s thermostat is a key component in its cooling system. It’s a pretty simple part with a very important job - to ensure your car reaches and remains at its optimum temperature. Your car’s thermostat is a small, metal valve located in your engine’s cooling system. It performs two main functions - firstly it must get the engine to heat up to its optimum temperature as quickly as possible, and then it has to keep the engine at its optimum temperature.

The most popular type of thermostat regulates the flow of coolant to the air-cooled radiator. These thermostats use a chamber that contains a wax pellet, which melts and expands at a set temperature. This process operates a rod that opens a valve when the optimum engine temperature is exceeded, allowing more coolant into the radiator. In other words, if your engine runs hot, the valve in the thermostat opens and lets more coolant flow to the engine (from the radiator) in other cases it stays closed.

How often should a thermostat need replacing?

There is no set lifespan for car thermostats, however because they are fairly simple, it isn’t very common for thermostats to go bad with age and they do not need to be changed as part of regular car maintenance or servicing. If your cooling system appears to be working, there probably isn’t a need for a new thermostat. However, like with all car parts, thermostats can wear out and begin to fail (particularly if they’re approaching 10 years old). It’s therefore important to keep an eye out for common symptoms of a bad thermostat.

Because thermostats are in continuous use when the engine is running, over time problems can occur with the thermostat due to extensive use.

In fact, it is one of the most common parts of the cooling system to fail. It is arguably one of the most critical components of the cooling process, as the failure of the thermostat can lead to the engine overheating and potentially suffering severe engine damage.

Additionally, thermostats will need to be repaired or replaced if they get clogged up by dirt and debris in the engine coolant. This blockage, less coolant can circulate through the system, causing the engine to overheat.

If you begin to notice any signs that your thermostat might be failing, such as engine warning lights illuminating or erratic changes in your engine’s temperature, you should have your thermostat checked as soon as possible.

What happens when we do a thermostat replacement on your car?

Our certified mechanics will:

• Read your car’s ECU to see if there are any related fault codes.

• Inspect the thermostat and the cooling system.

• Replace the thermostat, if needed.

• Close the cooling system and top-up your engine coolant.

• Run the engine and test drive the car.

• Make any final, necessary adjustments.

What causes a thermostat to break?

Thermostats are in continuous use when the engine is running - the valve is constantly opening and closing to keep your engine at its optimum temperature. Over time problems can occur with the thermostat due to extensive use.

In fact, it is one of the most common parts of the cooling system to fail. It is arguably one of the most critical components of the cooling process, as the failure of the thermostat can lead to the engine overheating and potentially suffering severe engine damage.

Additionally, thermostats can also get clogged up by dirt and debris in the engine coolant. As a result of this partial blockage, less coolant can circulate through the system, causing the engine to overheat.

If you begin to notice any signs that your thermostat might be failing, such as engine warning lights illuminating or erratic changes in your engine’s temperature, you should have your thermostat checked as soon as possible.

When should a thermostat be replaced?

There is no set lifespan for car thermostats, however because they are fairly simple, it isn’t very common for thermostats to go bad with age and they do not need to be changed as part of regular car maintenance or servicing. If your cooling system appears to be working, there probably isn’t a need for a new thermostat. However, like with all car parts, thermostats can wear out and begin to fail (particularly if they’re approaching 10 years old). It’s therefore important to keep an eye out for common symptoms of a bad thermostat.

Additionally, if you’re having maintenance done on other parts of the cooling system, such as a coolant flush or radiator repairs, on an older car, it could be a good idea to replace the thermostat at the same time for peace of mind.

What are the symptoms of a bad thermostat?

Usually, there a few signs you can look for:

• If your ‘Check Engine’ warning light is on.

• If the ‘Engine Temperature’ warning light illuminates.

• Your temperature gauge reading is very high and your engine keeps overheating.

• Erratic engine temperature fluctuations.

• Your car is leaking engine coolant around the thermostat housing or under the vehicle

How often should you replace your thermostat?

Thermostats do not need to be changed as part of regular car maintenance or servicing. If your cooling system appears to be working, there probably isn’t a need for a new thermostat. However, like with all car parts, thermostats can wear out and begin to fail (particularly if they’re approaching 10 years old). It’s therefore important to keep an eye out for common symptoms of a bad thermostat.

Additionally, if you’re having maintenance done on other parts of the cooling system, such as a coolant flush or radiator repairs, on an older car, it could be a good idea to replace the thermostat at the same time for peace of mind.

What happens during a thermostat replacement?

Our certified mechanics will:

• Read your car’s ECU to see if there are any related fault codes.

• Inspect the thermostat and the cooling system.

• Replace the thermostat, if needed.

• Close the cooling system and top-up your engine coolant.

• Run the engine and test drive the car.

• Make any final, necessary adjustments.

What is the average life of a thermostat?

There is no set lifespan for car thermostats, however because they are fairly simple, it isn’t very common for thermostats to go bad with age and they do not need to be changed as part of regular car maintenance or servicing. If your cooling system appears to be working, there probably isn’t a need for a new thermostat. However, like with all car parts, thermostats can wear out and begin to fail (particularly if they’re approaching 10 years old). It’s therefore important to keep an eye out for common symptoms of a bad thermostat.

Can you drive with a broken thermostat?

We wouldn’t recommend driving with a bad thermostat. Whether your thermostat is “stuck open” or “stuck closed”, both cases (especially the later), can cause serious (and expensive!) damage to your engine.

Be sure to keep your eyes open for illuminated ‘Engine warning’ lights. In most cars these dashboards lights will give you a good indication of when your engine is overheating, which is a tell tale sign that there’s a problem with your thermostat.

What happens if you don't change a broken thermostat?

A broken or blocked thermostat will prevent your engine from operating within its ideal temperature range and affect its performance.

A thermostat stuck open will result in a continuous flow of engine coolant, therefore the engine will be at a lower operating temperature. This significantly reduces engine efficiency and increases your car’s emissions.

A thermostat stuck in the closed position or a blocked thermostat will prevent coolant flow and cause the engine temperature to rise. If you fail to notice the signs that your engine is overheating, it will suffer serious damage. If you notice that your engine is overheating, don’t ignore it. Get it checked out before more serious and inconvenient damage is caused.