Thermostat installation car

Home Maintenance. Cost Guides. Project Guides. Questions and Answers. Get the App. You never pay to use Thumbtack: Get cost estimates, contact pros, and even book the job—all for no cost. Join as a pro. See all. Events and more. Other Info. Find a thermostat installation professional near you 8 near you. Zip code. Project type New installation Replacement Repair. Golden Air. Exceptional 5. Step 2: Check the radiator hoses. If you notice that the engine is hot but the radiator and the upper radiator hose are cool to the touch, there may be a thermostat issue.

Both hoses should be warm to hot. If one hose is cold and the other hot, this is a good indication your thermostat is stuck closed. This will need to be verified with the following steps. Step 2: Heat a pot of water. Bring the thermostat into your kitchen and put a pot of water on the stove. Heat the water to the temperature stamped on the thermostat this temperature can range from to F depending on the type of thermostat , making sure to monitor the water with a meat thermometer.

Step 3: Place the thermostat in the water. Using needlenose pliers, hold on to the thermostat and place it in the heated water. When the water reaches the specified temperature, you should see the thermostat open.

If it does not open or starts to and stops, this thermostat has failed. If it is the thermostat itself on your car that has failed, this is a quick and easy repair for most vehicles. A properly maintained cooling system will help extend the life of the thermostat, but it will also help maintain the other supporting components as well.

Not only should you have your thermostat checked, but be sure to also have your coolant replaced according to the manufacturer service maintenance intervals to keep that thermostat running great.

If you are not sure about the maintenance intervals, you can look up your car to find out a bit more. Step 1: Test the coolant. You can use a coolant tester to test a sample of the coolant in the radiator. The coolant tester will determine if the coolant is able to do its job and not freeze inside the system when ambient temperatures fall below 32F. Read the instructions for your tester to determine exactly how to read the results you get.

Step 2: Test for corrosion. You can also use a digital multimeter to test the coolant for corrosion. Corrosion can and will prematurely aid in cooling system failure, specifically the water pump, radiator, heater core, and finally the thermostat. Step 3: Open the radiator cap. To use your digital multimeter, start with a cool engine and open the radiator cap. Step 4: Allow the engine to idle.

With the cap off, start the engine and let it idle at RPMs to warm up. Step 5: Place negative probe on terminal.

After a few minutes, take your multimeter, set it to DC voltage and place the negative probe on the negative battery terminal. Step 6: Dip positive probe in coolant.

Estimate does now not include taxes and fees. Secondly, can you drive a car with a erroneous thermostat? Technically, yes, however you in point of fact should not. With out a functioning thermostat the coolant can 't circulate so your automotive will quickly overheat. If the thermostat opened at operating temperature after a few minutes or a bit longer in the winter , then your job is done!

Problems with the engine cooling system are not something to play around with. Blair Lampe is a New York-based professional mechanic, blogger, theater technician, and speechwriter. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Skip to content Your car thermostat plays an important role in keeping your engine cool and safe and running dependably. Get Set Up The thermostat is a temperature-controlled gatekeeper that allows the flow of coolant through the engine and radiator.

Put It Back Next, tighten each of the housing bolts a little at a time for even pressure, making sure they all end up tight. Photos courtesy of Blair Lampe.