You can count on Benton Road Auto Repair for all of your vehicle’s service and repair needs. This includes replacing the old thermostat once it has gone bad. This can happen after about 10 years. We are going to list the signs of a bad thermostat below so you know what to look for with your automobile. It is important to have the thermostat replaced as soon as possible to avoid an overheating engine and the damage that comes with it. Let’s talk more about a faulty thermostat.
Corroded Thermostat Housing
An old thermostat can start to leak, but the leak will be a minor one at first. The thermostat will allow coolant to seep out of the coolant valve. When this happens, the coolant pools around the thermostat housing and settles against it. The thermostat housing is made of metal, so the coolant will corrode the housing over time. Unfortunately, this rust will eventually eat through the thermostat housing and cause a much larger coolant leak out of the thermostat.
Leaking Engine Coolant
When this happens, you will see coolant spots or puddles on the garage floor. This is an indication that the thermostat housing is compromised. To prevent this from happening, it’s a good rule of thumb to have the thermostat replaced if the housing is corroded. We can inspect the thermostat to make sure the housing is free of corrosion. We can also inspect the thermostat to see if it is the cooling part that is leaking if you have coolant on the garage floor.
Erratic Temperature Changes
Even if your car’s thermostat does not develop a leak, there may come a time when it starts to malfunction. When this happens, you will notice that the engine’s temperature changes erratically. This is an indication that the thermostat is not reading the engine’s temperature correctly. Consequently, it is malfunctioning and releasing the coolant into the engine at the wrong time. This can make your engine run too hot or too cold depending on the coolant release.
Overheating Engine
Finally, a common sign of a faulty thermostat is an overheating engine. This is an indication that the thermostat is not releasing the coolant into the engine so it can be circulated by the water pump. Unfortunately, an engine without coolant is going to overheat.
Benton Road Auto Repair in Bossier City, LA, is here to help, so call us today if you suspect that your vehicle needs a new thermostat.
