Car Thermostat Replacement

The engine cooling system thermostat is a small but vital "gatekeeper" located between your engine and the radiator. Its job is to regulate the flow of coolant based on the engine's temperature. When you first start your car on a chilly morning in Johannesburg, the thermostat stays closed, keeping the coolant inside the engine so it can reach its optimal operating temperature as quickly as possible. Once the engine hits roughly 90 ∘ C to 105 ∘ C, the thermostat's internal wax element melts, pushing the valve open and allowing hot coolant to flow into the radiator to be cooled. If this valve fails, it either starves the engine of cooling (causing a meltdown) or allows too much cooling (preventing the engine from ever warming up).

Once the engine is completely cold, the radiator cap is loosened and enough coolant is drained from the radiator, so the coolant level is below the thermostat housing. The thermostat housing is removed and the thermostat and gasket are extracted. Note that some cars have more than one cooling system thermostat and both might need replacement. All mounting surfaces on the thermostat housing are cleaned of old gasket material. A new gasket is applied and the thermostat is re-installed in the correct orientation and with the temperature sensing cylinder facing downward towards the engine. The thermostat housing bolts are tightened to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specifications using a calibrated inch-pound torque wrench. The cooling system is refilled with the appropriate coolant type and the system is fully bled of all air. The car engine is run until the normal operating temperature is reached, and while taking precautions with the hot coolant, the coolant level is rechecked while confirming there is flow through the radiator — either visually or with an infrared temperature gun. This will confirm the thermostat is open. Finally, the engine is checked for leaks.