If your engine overheats within 15 minutes after you start it, your thermostat has gone bad. We will talk more about this below and the other signs of a malfunctioning thermostat. The important thing to keep in mind is that you need to replace the thermostat once it has gone bad in order to prevent damaging your engine. The thermostat lasts approximately 10 years. Stringer Auto Repair can inspect the thermostat to see if it is malfunctioning and replace it if necessary. Here are signs that your car, truck, or utility vehicle’s engine is not getting enough coolant because of a faulty thermostat.
Drastic Fluctuations in the Engine’s Temperature
The thermostat is in charge of releasing the coolant once the engine’s temperature reaches a certain degree. It has a valve that opens and closes to control the coolant flow. Sometimes, when an older thermostat starts to malfunction, it will open and close the valve sporadically. Unfortunately, this will cause sporadic coolant flow into the engine, and, as a result, drastic fluctuations in the engine’s temperature. This is because the engine is not getting a steady flow of coolant when it needs it.
Leaking Coolant on the Garage Floor
The thermostat can also start leaking coolant onto your garage floor if the valve remains in the closed position and the coolant backs out of the thermostat in droves. You will see coolant spots on the garage floor underneath your automobile toward the front. Pop the hood and look at the color of the coolant in the overflow reservoir. If the spots on the garage floor match this color, it’s possible that your engine is leaking coolant out of the thermostat or another cooling system part.
Coolant Pooled Around the Thermostat Housing
Most of the time, however, you won’t end up with spots on the garage floor. Rather, the coolant will seep out of the thermostat and pool around its housing. When this happens, the housing becomes corroded with a gel-like substance that is actually the engine coolant. Unfortunately, even this minor leak can affect how much coolant is in the engine, and when the levels get too low…
You Have an Engine That Overheats Quickly All the Time
Both the low coolant levels and the sporadic coolant flow will make your engine overheat. The reason why your engine overheats very quickly is that it isn’t getting the coolant released by the thermostat in a timely manner. An engine can get too hot, again, within 15 minutes after you started. If the thermostat isn’t releasing the coolant, the engine will overheat.
Call Stringer Auto Repair in Johnstown, OH, today if you are experiencing any of the problems listed above. We will inspect your thermostat and replace it if necessary.
