We are here to help at Fairfax Auto Repair. We’d be happy to replace your car’s thermostat if it needs it. Generally, this may become an issue after 10 years of driving your automobile. In terms of mileage, this translates to 100,000 miles. We are going to list the signs that your car’s thermostat has reached the end of its life below so you know what to look for in your automobile. It doesn’t matter if you drive a car, SUV, or truck, we can replace the faulty thermostat with a new one.
Rusted Thermostat Housing
If your vehicle is older and has reached one of the milestones discussed above, open the hood, secure it, and locate the thermostat in the engine. Your owner’s manual should have an engine schematic. Inspect the thermostat thoroughly to see if you can find any damage or rust. If the thermostat’s housing is rusted, you’ve got a slow coolant leak in your factory thermostat. It’s best to replace the thermostat now before the rust has its way completely with the thermostat’s housing.
Leaking Coolant
If you ignore the slow leak, it will turn into a large leak. You may back out of your garage one day and see coolant all over the garage floor. This can create a huge problem for the engine, as there will not be enough coolant circulating through it to prevent the temperature from rising above 220 degrees Fahrenheit. This is as hot as your vehicle’s engine should get. If you do have a coolant leak, head straight to our shop so we can fix it and keep your engine’s temperature normal.
Erratic Temperatures
Your thermostat may never develop a leak, but this does not mean it won’t need to be replaced one day. If the thermostat starts to go bad, it may begin to release the coolant at odd times that cause your engine’s temperature to fluctuate erratically. If you’ve got a problem with the temperature gauge needle moving up and down while you are driving, you’ve got a problem with the thermostat. Again, head straight to our shop so we can fix the problem to avoid engine damage.
Overheating Engine
What will cause the engine damage is an overheating engine. When the engine gets too hot, auto parts can crack. Examples of these parts include the head gasket, the exhaust manifold, and the engine block. As you can imagine, the repairs for these cracks are extremely expensive. As such, make sure to have your vehicle towed or our auto shop in Fairfax if the engine is too hot.
Fairfax Auto Repair in Fairfax, VA, is here to help, so call us today!
