McCurley’s Shell is the best auto shop in Atlanta, and we can easily replace your car, truck, or utility vehicle’s factory thermostat when it goes bad. You don’t need to worry about this happening until your automobile has turned 10 years old. Generally, this is how long the thermostat lasts. We are going to list the signs of a bad thermostat below so you know what to look for in your automobile. Replacing the thermostat sooner rather than later is the best approach to the problem to avoid damaging the engine when it overheats.
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Corrosion/Rust on the Thermostat Housing
One of the first things that can go wrong with the factory thermostat is it will start to leak slowly out of the coolant valve. The coolant valve is a valve that the thermostat controls to release coolant into the engine. The coolant can leak out of the valve when it is closed. This leak is a small one that will not cause drops on the garage floor. Rather, the coolant will stick to the thermostat housing and corrode it.
Leaking Coolant on the Garage Floor
Eventually, the corrosion or rust will start to eat through the housing metal and create a larger leak. When this happens, this will be the time that you see coolant on the garage floor. Because this leak is larger, your engine may start to run hotter or overheat because the coolant level is low. The leak will reduce the coolant level. Even if you add coolant to the cooling system, it will leak out of the system via the thermostat until you replace the thermostat with a new one.
Strange and Erratic Temperature Changes
If your temperature gauge needle keeps moving while you are driving your automobile, the thermostat is malfunctioning. This is also a problem that inflicts older thermostats. As the thermostat ages, it may break down and be unable to understand the engine’s actual temperature. Consequently, it will open the coolant valve at the wrong times and the engine’s temperature will change erratically.
An Engine That Overheats Constantly
At some point, the thermostat is going to malfunction completely and refused to work any longer. When this happens, your engine will overheat constantly. You can tell that the problem is the thermostat if the engine overheats quickly after you start it. This is a sign that the thermostat is not releasing the coolant.
McCurley’s Shell in Atlanta, GA, is here to help, so call us today to schedule a service visit for your automobile.