One of the most common repairs that are made to vehicles of today. Also the biggest culprit to overheated cars alongside the road. My mother in law was just subject to just that with her Nissan Altima, so the question comes to mind. How often should I replace my car’s thermostat? Here is what I found through my research on this matter.
Manufacturers have not placed a set time or mileage that your thermostat needs to be replaced. Due to the low cost of the part and the
accessibility of the piece, it is preferred to change the thermostat when completing other cooling system repairs.
That makes sense, but I still want to know more about the thermostat and how I can save hundreds of dollars in repairs, so let’s dig deeper into this matter.
You will be surprised by this one here’s my article on 12 Crucial Maintenance Things to Check on your Vehicle.
What does my thermostat do for my car?
Your thermostat even though it is small, has a tremendous job for your engine. The thermostat is the junction block for your entire cooling system. Did you know that your engine combustion process creates heat that is greater than 2000 degrees Fahrenheit?! Your cooling system keeps the temperature floating between 190 and 210 degrees Fahrenheit.
That is an excellent piece of engineering there! Your thermostat directs the coolant in your engine. By the thermostat telling the coolant where to go depending on the temperature, the coolant is at that moment. The average thermostat does not “open” until the operating temperature of your engine reaches 190 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Have you ever had the problem in the winter that your heat doesn’t work very well? What about in the summer you notice that your engine’s temperature is getting above the average operating temperature and is floating between half and full on the coolant temperature gauge? These are two signs that your thermostat is failing and needs to be replaced.
Most vehicles thermostats are separate from the water pump housing, but there are vehicles out there that you have to buy the two pieces as a set as well. So a highlight of what your thermostat does for your car.
The thermostat directs coolant where to go in your engine depending on the temperature it is at that moment.
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Why would my thermostat for my car break?
Like all things they break given enough time doing its job successfully for years and the wear and tear subject to it, yes all things break. From the research I completed, a thermostat’s lifespan is around two years.
With a part subject to the high combustion temperatures of your engine and opening and closing hundreds of times within a single week, yes you got your money’s worth.
This part is made of metal with a couple of rubber accents to it. The rubber seal on the outside and the wax cylinder makes up the moving part of the thermostat. These parts break down over time, and due to the price of this part, it is easily replaceable.
Where can I repair my car’s thermostat when it breaks?
Any automotive repair shop can replace this part for you if you do not feel comfortable changing this part. But if I were to rate this repair on any vehicle, it would be a beginner level repair. Most cars his thermostat is held in by 2 – 4 bolts and if you are having trouble finding the location of it follow the upper radiator hose.
If you follow that hose it will lead to the thermostat housing, then you take
the bolts off, and your thermostat is sitting inside. Sounds easy enough, right? There are a few tips though you need to remember when changing a thermostat.
Most important you need to remember to never mess with your cooling system while it is still hot. Your cooling system is pressurized and can severely injure you if open when hot.
Next, I call it housekeeping, but it is just a good habit that once you take a bolt out, you need to put it back, so you remember where it goes, yes this is a small and quick repair, but it is an excellent practice to prevent more significant repairs.
The average cost for an automotive repair shop to change your thermostat is between $199 and $251. This price is exceptionally high due to the part not costing more than $25. Hearing this always gives me the motivation to put more articles and videos out.
All because of the high costs that repair shops charge for a simple repair. A bad thermostat is a minor problem that if caught and fixed in the proper amount of time can prevent major repairs that can be caused by an engine overheating and any internal damage done to the engine as well.
Remember we want to catch our problems when they are small so we can save money from having to pay for significant repairs.
It is always better to be safe than sorry. Heres my article on 5 Simple Ways to Protect your Car in Hurricane Season.
How can I prevent my thermostat from breaking in the future?
As I said previously, due to the wear and tear, your thermostat is destined to go out one time or another. But we can lengthen this lifespan by preventing the things that make our thermostat fail earlier than expected. That would be the heat of the coolant that passes through the thermostat.
By the way, did you know that coolant is called antifreeze as well? It was named this due to mixing coolant with water; the coolant prevents the water from freezing in cold climates. Freezing water expands and can push your freeze plugs out of your engine.
If we could minimize the heat of the coolant, then our thermostat will last longer. The way that we reduce that temperature is that we make sure the coolant to water ratio is correct at a 50/50 mix.
This will raise the boiling temperature of the liquid so it can dissipate the heat properly with the cooling system. By doing so, we have lengthened our thermostats life and have saved us money in the long run.
I hope you enjoyed my article and it helped you with your problem. Make sure you check out my YouTube channel to see video walkthrough guides! Thank you again, and I hope you enjoy my next piece!
