Signs of a Broken Car Thermostat, Symptoms and How to Fix It
Identifying the signs of a faulty car thermostat early is essential for car owners. This can prevent damage to other car components and determine the right steps for repairs. As is known, the thermostat functions as a controller for the coolant fluid in the car engine. If this component is damaged and not addressed promptly, the car can overheat. To avoid this, let’s directly learn the signs of its damage and how to fix it as follows.
Signs or Symptoms When the Car Thermostat is Faulty
When the car thermostat is damaged, signs or symptoms will appear as follows.
1. Thermostat frequently opens
When the car thermostat is damaged, it tends to open even at room temperature or around 30 degrees Celsius.
2. Thermostat frequently gets stuck
When the car thermostat is damaged, it can sometimes cause the thermostat to get stuck. This condition is the opposite of the first condition. That is, even when the temperature exceeds the standard limit or reaches 90 degrees Celsius, the thermostat does not open.
3. Difficult to achieve the engine's ideal working temperature
A damaged car thermostat also causes the engine to struggle to reach its ideal working temperature. Especially when the car engine is still cold or when starting the car engine in the morning. This can happen because a faulty thermostat often opens, causing the coolant fluid that should not be circulated before reaching the specified temperature to be instead directed to the radiator.
4. Car AC is less cold
When your car's AC suddenly becomes less cold, even though the freon is full or the AC components are still good, it can be confirmed that your car's thermostat is faulty. This happens due to the thermostat getting stuck (closed thermostat), causing the engine temperature to rise. This condition affects the workload of the car engine and the cabin temperature, causing the AC system to have to deactivate the AC compressor's performance.
5. Engine overheating
As previously explained, a damaged thermostat will cause the engine to overheat (a drastic increase in temperature).
6. Fuel consumption increases but performance decreases
The last sign can be felt when the engine performance becomes sluggish, but fuel consumption increases.
Read Also: Here are the Indicators of Normal Car Temperature and How to Check It
How to Fix a Damaged Car Thermostat
There are several ways to fix a damaged car thermostat that you can follow. Here are the complete steps.
1. Locate the car thermostat
Before you fix your damaged car thermostat, you need to know the position of this component. Each car has a different thermostat position. To find out the location of this component, you can open the manufacturer’s manual or search for information online.
2. Remove the car thermostat
Next, you need to carefully and slowly remove the car thermostat with the help of a 17mm wrench.
3. Clean the car thermostat
Next, don’t forget to clean the dirty parts of the thermostat with a cleaning fluid and fine sandpaper.
4. Replace the damaged car thermostat with a new one
If the performance of the cleaned car thermostat does not function normally, then immediately perform the replacement of the thermostat with a new one.
5. Retest the function of the car thermostat
Once replaced with a new one, you need to retest the function of the thermostat. Check if it functions normally or not. Don’t forget to fill the radiator with water completely before retesting.
Thus, a complete review of the signs and symptoms of a damaged car thermostat along with how to fix it. If you find it difficult to repair the thermostat independently, you can visit the nearest official Daihatsu workshop to get the right service.
