If you just celebrated your car’s tenth birthday, there will come a time sooner rather than later that it will need a new thermostat. Mike’s Automotive can replace the thermostat when it goes bad. Unfortunately, you may not realize at first that the thermostat is having problems. We are going to discuss the signs of a faulty thermostat below and how the problems progressively get worse. Do not worry. Again, we can replace your thermostat with a new one when the old one goes bad.
Corroded Thermostat
One of the first signs that your thermostat needs to be replaced is corrosion. The thermostat gets corroded because it develops a slow leak. This is a silent problem that won’t give you any notice unless you inspect the thermostat and see the corrosion. If you do, bring your vehicle to our shop so we can replace the thermostat right away. If you ignore the problem, the thermostat will start leaking more heavily because the corrosion will make holes in the metal housing.
Leaking Coolant
Once the holes are in the housing, you will start to see coolant on your garage floor. In addition, you will notice that your engine is running a bit hotter than it normally does. If you lose a tremendous amount of coolant, the engine will overheat. Replacing the thermostat will keep the coolant in the cooling system and your engine’s temperature normal. If you see coolant spots on your garage floor, come to our shop right away so we can determine whether the thermostat is leaking or another cooling system part.
Strange Temperatures
Strange engine temperatures are a sign that your thermostat is malfunctioning. This, too, can happen when the thermostat gets too old. The thermostat may not understand the engine temperature anymore. As such, it may release the coolant at strange times. Consequently, you will see that your engine fluctuates between the temperature being too cold and the temperature being too hot. This is definitely a sign that you need a new thermostat in the cooling system of your automobile.
Overheating Engine
Finally, as we have touched upon above, a faulty thermostat is going to cause your engine to overheat. In fact, in most cases, the engine overheats very quickly after you start the automobile. Unfortunately, the engine will overheat all the time, which means you should have your vehicle towed to our shop to avoid damaging the engine by driving it.
We are Mike’s Automotive in Juliet, TN, and we are here to help. Call us today to schedule a service visit for your automobile.