Symptoms of a Bad or Failing Thermostat can be found in YourMechanic.

A car thermostat regulates the flow of coolant through the engine and is an incredibly important player in the operation of your vehicle's engine.When the engine has been sitting for a while and is not warm, the thermostat will be closed.Once the engine is running and reaches a certain operating temperature, a sensor inside the thermostat will cause it to open, allowing coolant to flow to and from the radiator, decreasing the temperature so it can be recirculated.Your vehicle's engine is kept functioning at the optimum temperature by this constant flow and several other cooling system components.

Proper engine temperature can be maintained with the correct opening and closing of the thermostat.In the event that the thermostat becomes stuck, there is no way for the cooling system to get through the engine, which causes extremely hot engine temperatures.If the thermostat is stuck open, the vehicle's engine temperature never reaches an optimum level of heat, creating performance problems and speeding up the wear-down of parts.There are a number of symptoms associated with a bad thermostat.

Within the first 15 minutes of your vehicle engine running, the temperature gauge will be reading high into the red.This is the first sign that the thermostat is malfunctioning.Your car can suffer engine damage fast if the thermostat is stuck closed.

A thermostat stuck in the open position causes the engine to have a lower operating temperature.A needle that barely increases or remains at the lowest setting is what your temperature gauge will show.This will reduce engine efficiency and increase emisssions over time.

Poor engine performance and reduced gas mileage can be caused by erratic temperature fluctuations.The temperature may be low at one point and climb to a high level after a while.The thermostat is not stuck in any one position, but it will still produce false readings and cause issues with coolant regulation.

When the thermostat doesn't allow the coolant to flow when stuck in the closed position, it may be leaking.This can be seen around the thermostat housing in a variety of locations.It can cause other hoses to leak as well, leading to a leak under your vehicle.

Replacing the thermostat is an inexpensive repair that can prevent thousands of dollars in engine damage due to excessive heat.It's time to have an expert mechanic diagnose your vehicle if any of the above symptoms sound familiar to you.

The vehicle engine mechanical inspection is the most popular service booked by readers.Once the problem has been diagnosed, you will be provided with an upfront quote for the recommended fix and receive $20.00 off as a credit towards the repair.YourMechanic's technicians perform this job at your home or office seven days a week between 7AM and 9PM.We have 100k+ 5-star reviews for over 2,000 cities.You can learn more.

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