How Does a Car Thermostat Work?

December 23, 2021

A person is holding a radiator cap in front of a car engine.

All cars have a thermostat and it is the most important component of a cooling system. It regulates the flow between the coolant, radiator and engine. Although it is very small in size, the job it performs is very important to make sure that the temperature is safe to operate.

How does a car thermostat work?

Coolant will flow through the engine, and then it picks up the excess heat. It then leaves the engine and goes to the radiator. Here the excess heat is removed. It will then go through the cooling system and ends back in the engine.

The thermostat is a valve that is situated between the engine and radiator. When the coolant is too warm, the valve opens and lets the hot coolant through to the radiator where it is cooled down. If the coolant is not hot, the valve will stay closed and the coolant will continue to circulate in the block.

The thermostat has a type of wax that expands when the heat gets a certain temperature, and this will let the valve open up. When the heat goes down, the wax will shrink and the valve will close again. Cars that run on hot coolant will never cool down and that will make your car overheat.

What are some of the causes for a faulty thermostat?

Some of the reasons for a faulty thermostat is:

Because the thermostat is such an important component of your car, you will want to check it first when you see signs of your car overheating. A car that overheats can cause very big problems for you as a driver and car owner. If you are not confident about your car overheating, you can always take your car to someone that has the experience and who can have a look at the thermostat, they will be able to tell you if it is faulty or not.

If you need car thermostat repair in Stockton, CA, we invite you to bring your vehicle into Toole's Garage Stockton today.

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