The thermostat plays a vital role in your vehicle’s cooling system. It’s the thermostat that opens up a valve to release the coolant once the engine gets too hot. A car thermostat will last about 10 years. If your vehicle is older than that and you are experiencing any of the problems listed below, Auto Service Kingston advises that it’s possible that your thermostat is going bad and needs to be replaced. We can test the thermostat for you to determine if this is the problem.
You’ve Got Coolant Spots On Your Garage Floor
If the thermostat’s valve gets stuck in the closed position, it can start to leak engine coolant onto your garage floor. You may notice spots or a puddle of red, yellow, yellow-green, or green fluid underneath your automobile. It isn’t a good idea to drive your automobile if it is leaking coolant. Doing so will cause the engine to overheat and the high temperatures might damage it.
The Thermostat Housing Is Corroded With Gel
Sometimes, the leaking coolant isn’t flowing out of the thermostat enough to drip onto the garage floor. In this case, the coolant just pools around the thermostat housing and corrodes it. If you take a good look at the thermostat housing, you may see a gel-like substance sticking to the thermostat and its housing like glue. This is leaking engine coolant.
The Engine Temperature Fluctuates Erratically
Your thermostat may also start to malfunction. In this case, it may open and close the valve erratically and, as a consequence, your engine temperature will fluctuate erratically. This is because the engine isn’t getting a steady stream of coolant when it needs it. Rather, it gets coolant in spurts and it starts to overheat and then cools down repeatedly. This will make driving your automobile very difficult as the inconsistent temperatures affect your engine’s performance. To resolve the issue, the malfunctioning thermostat will need to be replaced.
The Engine Temperature Gets Too Hot Quickly
Finally, as mentioned above, if the thermostat is leaking engine coolant or the temperature is fluctuating erratically, your engine will eventually get too hot. An overheating engine makes your vehicle unsafe to drive. If your engine has been overheating lately, time how long it takes for it to get too hot. If it is within 15 minutes after starting it, the thermostat is not releasing coolant into the engine like it’s supposed to.
Again, Auto Service Kingston in Kingston, ON, would be happy to test your engine’s thermostat to see if it is malfunctioning. If it is, we can replace it.