The thermostat is very important in every car. And that's primarily because it shows us what temperature the liquid in the cooling system is. It is also naturally important so that if a certain limit is exceeded, the fan can be switched on and the car cannot overheat. In this regard, we should not forget that if the thermostat does not serve us as it should, it is necessary to deal with its specific replacement. Today, replacing a thermostat doesn't have to be complicated, and in many cars it's a fairly quick fix. See with us how to do it.
Remove the engine cover
The first thing we have to do is the necessity of getting to the engine itself. To do this, we will remove its top cover. It's usually just snap-on, so we're sure it's very easy to do without any tools. If your car doesn't have a specific cover, you've won, because you can automatically skip this step immediately.
Pay attention to the coolant
Once the engine cover is removed, you can start working on the coolant. First of all, it is necessary to open the lid of the cooling container, naturally to allow air to enter the system. This is necessary so that the current coolant can be drained. This is the second step in which you get to unscrew the fluid drain hose in this service operation.
Coolant can suddenly start to drain. Here we recommend having a container available to collect it. First of all, it is necessary because it is a chemical substance that definitely does not belong in the wild. The second reason is that if the liquid in question is in order and the container in which you will catch it is clean, you have the option to return it after all the work is done. Thanks to this, you do not have to pay additional costs associated with its purchase.
We come to the thermostat
Once the coolant is drained, we need to start by gradually working our way to the thermostat itself. If you do not know exactly where it is stored, it is a good idea to look in your car manual or find the information on the Internet. It is possible that its storage may be different across different cars. Once you know where the thermostat is located, you can proceed to the next step, which involves removing its cover. Usually, this should be combined with the use of a classic key, which allows you to release the nut that holds the cover.
Once you have the cover open and removed, the most important part comes, which is to remove the faulty thermostat. So what happens is that you carefully pull it out of the place where it is stored. Unfortunately, most of the time you don't know what specific problem may be associated with it, so it can be expected that if it doesn't work, it will be thrown away.
Installation of a new thermostat
After the old and broken one is removed, you can install the new one. So, to be specific, considering the price, it is not always necessary to buy a new part, as it is possible to buy a used one, or perhaps a refurbished one. In this regard, junkyards in particular are a great way to get everything we need for cheap.
So once we have the thermostat, we can install it back into place. We slide it into a specific space and then proceed naturally by mounting the given cover. Don't forget to tighten it thoroughly here, as everything needs to be really tight and, of course, also tight enough. Once that's done, the most important steps are over.
Connect the hose
The next step is to connect the drain hose to once again create a complete closed system for coolant flow. Once we are done, it is possible to slowly top them back up. As we mentioned above, it is possible to use both the drained liquid, and it is possible to buy a new one. If you are going the first way, we definitely recommend you to measure its density. Especially if you're changing your thermostat before winter, you can pretty easily find out if your fluid will hold up. If not, you can simply adjust its values before topping up – that is, topping up with pure fridex.
The coolant should ideally be filled below the upper line. As soon as this happens, it is necessary to take into account that it can still drop after a few kilometers. That's why we recommend starting the engine for a few minutes and then checking its condition again. If it falls, it is necessary to add a little more. Repeat the given procedure until it stops disappearing and you will be sure that there will be enough of it in the given circle. Of course, even after this inspection, other regular inspections should not be neglected, as any other leak may appear at any time later. It is clear that it naturally does not have to be related to a specific replacement of the thermostat.
Try the functionality
After the new thermostat is in place, it is necessary to test its functionality. This can be quite a problem in the winter, while in the summer the way to find out the functionality is quite simple. It is ideal to drive the car for a few kilometers and then leave it running. During this time, simply monitor the temperature, which should rise slightly. At the same time, it is good to observe the fan on the radiator to see if it switches. If so, and thanks to it the temperature gradually decreases and stays within the specified limits, you are sure that the replacement of the thermostat would take place without any problems and you do not have to worry about the fact that you might so-called boil your car . That is, the coolant would exceed a certain limit.
