If your car is older than a decade, it’s possible that the thermostat will go bad. The average lifespan of a vehicle thermostat is 10 years. Scotty’s Automotive can replace your thermostat when it needs it. You may notice one or more of the following signs that your thermostat is malfunctioning. It’s important to have this issue addressed as soon as possible to prevent the possibility of unnecessary engine damage. We will explain more what we mean below, so please keep reading.
There’s a Minor Coolant Leak
An older thermostat can spring a minor coolant leak that will leave a ton of corrosion around the housing. The corrosion is the engine coolant leaking out of the thermostat. The thermostat has a valve that it opens to release coolant into the engine once it starts to get hot. If the valve gets stuck in the closed position, not only will your engine not get any coolant but it will also back up and leak out of the thermostat all over the housing.
There’s a Major Coolant Leak
If the leak gets worse, you may end up with engine coolant all over your garage floor. This is an indication of a serious leak that can create problems for your engine. Even on cold days, your engine needs coolant to prevent it from overheating. If your thermostat is leaking, the coolant levels will be reduced and your engine may not have enough coolant to keep it cool.
The Temperature Is Erratic
Even if your thermostat isn’t leaking it might begin to behave erratically if it is malfunctioning. What this means is that it will release and prevent the release of the engine coolant in spurts and you will see this on your temperature gauge. You will see that the engine temperature is fluctuating between hot and normal erratically. This is a bad sign, as you need your engine’s temperature to remain in the normal range while you are driving your car, truck, or utility vehicle.
The Car Overheats All the Time
Naturally, if the thermostat is leaking engine coolant or it isn’t releasing it into the engine, your engine will overheat. If the thermostat is stuck in the closed position, your engine can overheat in as little as 15 minutes. Unfortunately, your engine will continue to overheat until you replace the faulty thermostat.
Scotty’s Automotive in Montague, NJ, can do that for you, so give us a call today. We’d be happy to test your vehicle’s thermostat and replace it if necessary.
