The average lifespan of a factory-installed thermostat is 10 years. If you drive an older diesel truck, you’re at higher risk of having the thermostat go bad. Midlane Truck & Trailer Repair advises that a faulty thermostat will cause problems with the engine’s temperature because it controls when the coolant is released into the engine. In other words, no coolant means an overheated engine and too much coolant means an engine that is running too cold. Let’s talk more about this below.
Erratic Temperature Changes
The thermostat uses a valve to control the coolant flow. If you notice that your temperature gauge needle is going up and down erratically, this suggests that the thermostat is malfunctioning and releasing the engine coolant in spurts and not necessarily when your engine needs it. Your engine may run too cold for quite some time only to overheat suddenly because the thermostat was flooding the engine with coolant and then cut off the flow. Erratic temperature changes point to problems with the thermostat that need immediate attention.
Corroded Thermostat
If the thermostat valve gets stuck in the closed position, you will not only end up with no coolant in the engine but also a corroded thermostat. A stuck valve causes coolant to seep out of it and puddle around the thermostat. Unfortunately, this corrodes the thermostat and slowly eats away at the metal. If you inspect your thermostat and see that it is corroded, it’s time to replace the old part with a new one. We can inspect your thermostat for you if you’d prefer.
Leaking Engine Coolant
Minor seepage can turn into a major leak as the corrosion continues to have its way with the thermostat. Unfortunately, you will end up with leaking coolant that leaves puddles or spots on your garage floor. You will see these spots underneath the engine near the front. A leaking thermostat can indirectly cause serious engine damage, so have the thermostat replaced as soon as possible. There’s no sense in causing unnecessary engine damage.
Overheating Engine
How the leaking thermostat damages the engine is by reducing the coolant levels in the cooling system. Once the levels are too low, your diesel engine will overheat every time you drive your truck. If you continue to operate the vehicle with an overheating engine, you will damage it. A stuck thermostat valve can also overheat the engine as mentioned above.
Call Midlane Truck & Trailer Repair in Eugene, OR, today to schedule an appointment for your diesel truck if you suspect that the thermostat has gone bad.
