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A Faulty Thermostat Can Cause Erratic Engine Temperatures

Midwest Auto Care can replace your thermostat when it goes bad. The average lifespan of the vehicle thermostat is about 10 years. If you drive an older automobile, the thermostat is at a higher risk of malfunctioning or leaking. We are going to list the signs of a faulty thermostat below so you know what to look for in your automobile. Bring your vehicle to our shop at the first indication of trouble to avoid damaging the engine. A faulty thermostat will make the engine overheat, and driving an engine that is too hot can damage it irreparably.

Rusty Thermostat Housing

One thing that indicates that the thermostat is leaking is a rusty thermostat housing. The thermostat has a coolant valve that opens and closes to release the coolant into the engine when it needs it. The valve can get stuck when the thermostat gets older. Consequently, when the valve is stuck in the closed position, the coolant will seep out of it. It will rest against the thermostat and corrode it. Replacing the thermostat at the first sign of corrosion is the best idea.

Coolant Spots or Puddles

The reason why it is so important to replace the thermostat when it is corroded is that the rest will eat through the metal housing and cause an even greater coolant leak. This coolant leak will put coolant spots and puddles on your garage floor. Naturally, when the coolant is leaking out of the engine at higher volumes, the engine will run hotter because it doesn’t have enough coolant circulating through it. You never want the engine to run hotter than 220 degrees Fahrenheit.

Erratic Engine Temperatures

As the title of this blog post mentions, a faulty thermostat can cause the temperature in your engine to change erratically. The reason why is that the thermostat may not be able to read the engine’s temperature correctly after it is too old. Consequently, it may release coolant when the engine doesn’t need it and fail to release coolant when the engine does need it.

Overheating Constantly

All of these things can make your engine overheat constantly. In fact, a faulty thermostat may not release coolant at all and your engine will overheat right after you start your automobile. This usually happens within the first 15 minutes of operation.

Midwest Auto Care in Lake Station, IN, is here to help, so call us today so we can set up a service visit for you to inspect the thermostat.

Photo by ra3rn from Getty Images via Canva Pro
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