Thermostat: Functions & Symptoms of Damaged thermostat

By, 2019-01-22

Drivers usually use thermostat in winter season more than in summer so that the temperature inside the engine does not rise, but certainly, thermostat should be operated in both seasons in order not to damage the car's engine.

Thermostat must not be suspended for not causing any damages to the engine; that is because thermostat maintains the fuel combustion and temperature of the engine. The oil will not get the best viscosity for operation, especially when it operates at a certain temperature, this will damage the interior of the engine and increase the friction between them.

This will also increase the pollution emission from the car's engine due to poor fuel combustion, because of the inefficient engine performance. So, always remember to operate the thermostat.

The thermostat secret lies in a cylinder located on the car engine side. Thermostat cylinder is filled with a wax that begins to melt at 180 degrees. Different thermostats open at different temperatures, but 180 F/82 C is a typical temperature. There is a bar connected to the valve flow through this wax that when the wax melts, it expands safely and pushes the bar out of the cylinder, opening the valve.

How does thermostat work?

Car thermostat is a valve between the engine and the cooling system. When you first start a cold engine, the thermostat valve is closed, allowing the coolant surrounding the engine to heat to the proper operating temperature. As the coolant gets hotter, the thermostat opens, allowing coolant to flow through to the cooling system to be cooled. Then the thermostat opens and closes to keep the engine within an exact temperature range.

Some people believe that engine temperature reduction is a good indicator for engine performance. They tend to remove the thermostat from the engine but this is totally wrong as the low water temperature causes the cylinders shrinkage, increasing the cylinders friction, which shortens the engine's life.

Further reading: Important tips to prolong the lifespan of your car breaks

Causes of damages in thermostat:

One of the biggest causes of thermostat damage is when the engine temperature is higher than the normal rate. This damage is caused by the damage of thermostat system inside the car, so it does not allow cold water to flow into the engine, which leads to raising the temperature for the rest of the components.

In addition to that, when the engine temperature of the car is less than the normal rate, especially in highways. Usually this problem is caused by the damage of the thermostat system in the opening mode, allowing large amounts of water to enter the engine continuously, therefore, the engine temperature falls below the normal range.

Finally, experts recommend you to operate the thermostat all the time. In addition, they recommend you not remove the thermostat from the engine in order not to cause any damages to the car's engine.

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