JA Motors advises that you can expect to get about seven to 10 years out of the factory thermostat that was installed in your automobile’s engine when it was assembled. As your vehicle ages, the thermostat will go bad and need to be replaced. We can do that for you when the time comes. The time may be here if your automobile is having any of the problems we are going to list below. These four signs are signs that your car’s thermostat is going bad.
1. Corrosion on the Thermostat
One of the things that may happen is you may end up with corrosion on the thermostat if it develops a slow leak. Usually, the coolant valve it’s stuck in the closed position and the coolant seeps out of it. Because there isn’t enough pressure to make the coolant drip onto the garage floor, it will puddle around the thermostat and start to rust it. You need to replace the thermostat at this time. Otherwise, you will end up with…
2. Leaking Coolant on the Garage Floor
When this happens, coolant has eaten through the thermostat’s metal housing. Unfortunately, this will reduce the levels of coolant in your vehicle’s engine and cause it to overheat. More on that below. If you see fluid spots on the garage floor, check the fluid to see if it is the same color as your engine coolant. Also, check to see if your coolant level is low. Only do this when your engine is cold. If you do have a reduced level of coolant in the engine you have a coolant leak.
3. Engine Temperatures That Change Erratically
Even if the thermostat is not leaking, it can start to malfunction and cause your engine’s temperature to change erratically. When this happens, you may notice that your thermostat needle on the dashboard will move up and down while you are driving your automobile. This is a sign that the thermostat is not able to read the engine’s temperature correctly and is sending coolant to the engine when the engine doesn’t need it.
4. An Engine That Overheats All the Time
This can make your engine overheat every time you drive your automobile. In fact, if your engine starts to overheat quickly after you start it, it’s a safe bet that the thermostat is going bad.
Call JA Motors in Peachtree City, GA, today for a thermostat inspection if your vehicle is having any of the problems listed above.
