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Oxford Automotive Can Replace Your Car’s Thermostat

Call Oxford Automotive right away if you are having any of the problems listed below. These are signs that your automobile’s thermostat has gone bad and needs to be replaced. Generally, you can count on the factory thermostat for about 10 years or 100,000 miles to 150,000 miles. Replacing the thermostat when it goes bad restores the release of coolant into the engine once the temperature reaches 220 degrees Fahrenheit. Let’s talk more about the signs of a faulty thermostat below.

Rust on the Thermostat

The thermostat not only keeps track of your engine’s temperature but also releases the coolant into the engine. If it detects that the engine is getting too hot, it opens a valve to send coolant to the water pump for circulation. An older thermostat often has problems with the valve getting stuck in a closed position. When this happens, the coolant will seep out of the thermostat and pool around it. Unfortunately, this causes the thermostat to rust and corrode.

Dripping Engine Coolant

Naturally, corroded metal eventually gets holes in it. When this happens, the thermostat is going to release coolant onto the garage floor. This coolant leak can affect the engine’s temperature because there may not be enough coolant circulating through it to keep it under 220 degrees. Unfortunately, it’s safer to avoid driving your automobile when it is leaking coolant than to operate it. Operating it can cause the engine to get too hot and severely damage it.

Changing Engine Temps

The thermostat can also malfunction when it gets too old, and when this happens, you may start to notice your engine’s temperature fluctuating between cold and hot. This can be a sign that the thermostat is misreading the temperature of the engine and releasing coolant at the wrong times. Unfortunately, your engine will run too hot only to run too cold next. If you have noticed that your temperature gauge is moving up and down, bring your vehicle to our shop right away.

Overheating Constantly

Finally, an old thermostat has difficulty ensuring that the engine has enough coolant when it needs it and, as a consequence, the engine will overheat constantly. In fact, if the thermostat dies completely, your engine may overheat right after you start your automobile and start driving. This is a sign that the thermostat has failed to release coolant into the engine.

Call Oxford Automotive in Oxford, PA, today to set up a service visit for your automobile so we can test the old thermostat to see if it needs to be replaced.

Photo by Manueltrinidad from Getty Images via Canva Pro
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