

But not all the heat produced by burning the fuel is turned into useful work some of it remains in the gas and goes down the exhaust pipe, and some passes into the walls of the combustion chamber and cylinder and is removed by the engine cooling system. This heat increases the pressure of the resulting gas mixture, the remains of the intake air and the burnt fuel vapours, which forces the piston down and turns the crankshaft. When an engine burns fuel, heat is produced. However, if the engine temperature gets too high, boiling of the coolant leads to local steam pockets forming which severely reduce heat transfer in the affected area, usually the cylinder head, resulting in premature combustion of the fuel air mixture, also know as detonation or knocking, and ultimately damage to engine components (the cylinder head, valves and pistons). Lower engine temperatures result in inefficient combustion which causes increased fuel consumption, and increased wear with consequent reduced engine life. Wear on the moving parts is reduced and thermal efficiency is increased by operating at this temperature. Internal combustion engines operate most efficiently at relatively high temperatures, typically above 80☌ - 85☌ (176☏ - 185☏). To maintain the engine at optimum operating temperature thereafter. To bring the engine up to optimum operating temperature as quickly as possible andĢ. What does an engine thermostat do, and how does it do it?Īn engine thermostat, such as a typical car or lorry water cooled engine thermostat, has two separate but interrelated functions:ġ. Providing innovative solutions to engineering and business problems opportunities. Possibly leading to even more thermostat issues.Eur Ing D B Boettcher BSc(Hons) CEng MIET Stay tuned for new technology, MAP controlled thermostats. Finally, overlooked, ignored or unchecked, cooling problems, will end up leading to big expenses. And, if you keep a car long enough, at some point, you will have car thermostat issues. So, overheating always seems to happen, at the worst time, in the worst possible place. Improper air/fuel mixture or ignition timing.Other Possible Causes Of Overheating May Be: Coolant In Rad But, if the engine overheats, you have another problems affecting the cooling system. Consequently, if the coolant begins to flow and the temperature stays normal your good. If you don’t see the coolant flowing, you have car thermostat issues, a thermostat stuck in the closed position. Consequently, the coolant begins to flow, because it has reached a high enough temperature, to open the thermostat.About this time, you should see the coolant through the radiator filler neck, beginning to flow.But, if the coolant is not flowing, let it run for about 20 minutes, to reach operating temperature.If you see the coolant flowing, you have a thermostat stuck in the opened position, causing more thermostat issues. Consequently, the coolant has not reached a high enough temperature, to open the thermostat.You can check this by looking through, the radiator filler neck.Verify that the coolant is not flowing.Thermostat Illustration So, How Do I Know If My Thermostat Is Stuck ? And, Is It Closed or Opened ? But, are still bad car thermostat issues.

NOTE: The consequences of an “open failure” may be less catastrophic, than those of a “closed failure”. That’s why, when an engine overheats, it’s a good idea to replace the thermostat, avoiding more thermostat issues. Furthermore, this failure prevents the flow of coolant to the radiator, possibly overheating the engine and causing damage. Possible overheating from loss of coolant, a defective electric cooling fan or fan clutch. A thermostat could stick closed if, the wax element has been damaged by, overheating or corrosion. This results in poor warm up and heater performance, increased engine emissions and reduced fuel economy. Car Thermostat Issues – Is Your Engine Coolant Flowing Properly A thermostat could stick open if, the return spring breaks or debris prevents the thermostat, from fully closing.Ĭonsequently, this allows a steady flow of coolant to the radiator, resulting in an over cooled engine. So, what car thermostat issues, could cause your thermostat to stick open or closed ? First Of All, Let’s Determine If You Are Actually Having, Car Thermostat Issues.
