can an old thermostat restrict water from being pumped into theengine and colling it properly? also can it make my temperature gauge needle jump around crazy?
1984 Chevy S10 2.8L V6 2wd
2007-06-11 07:42:40 · 6 answers · asked by trivium332 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Car Makes ➔ Chevrolet
A bad thermostat usually locks up in the open position by design. I guess it could restrict the flow in some cases.
The jumping guage is probably caused by the temperature sending unit or wire. The thermostat is not directly connected to the guage.
2007-06-11 07:48:49 · answer #1 · answered by Chief 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In the good old days thermostats were either good or bad, but today thermostats can go haywire and not fully open or fully close and the result is erratic temperature control. Temperature gauges will bounce around and might move from a cool temp to a hot temp and then back again.
The best solution is to buy a good quality thermostat, if you can find one in this day and age. Its a small item and lots of places sell them for $3 anymore but mainly those are trouble. If you can't find a good thermostat drill a 1/8" hole in flange of the thermostat so water can pass through and stabilize your cooling system.
Be sure that you refill your cooling system properly when your finished to help eliminate air pockets. Fill your radiator up until its about six inches from the top, then start your engine and let it warm up. When the thermostat opens and the coolant level lowers then slowly fill the cooling system to the top of the radiator and top off your overflow reservoir.
2007-06-12 00:32:57 · answer #2 · answered by lwjksu89 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, and no. A bad thermostat will cause overheating, or lack of heat in the winter. A "slow" thermostat might cause the car to get too warm before cooling off, then get too cool before closing again, but the cycle would take several minutes. If the needle is jumping, you should check the sending unit, then the gauge.
2007-06-11 14:50:45 · answer #3 · answered by J.R. 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had my Audi water temperature gauge go from normal to "overheated" in matter of seconds. It was obvious to me that the car cannot overheat so quickly. So I changed the water temp sensor and that problem went away.
Yes, an old or bad thermostat can cause cooling problem. But if you have temp guage needle is jumping around, focus on replacing the temp sensor first.
2007-06-11 15:05:13 · answer #4 · answered by Lover not a Fighter 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes and Yes. If you replace the thermostat, make sure that refill it with coolant and DISTILLED water. Hard water can cause the thermostat to stick.
2007-06-11 14:50:45 · answer #5 · answered by Daniel T 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
YES OLD THERMOSTAT TEND TO STICK AND CAUSE OVERHEATING .
2007-06-11 14:51:34 · answer #6 · answered by Denny M 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋