What does it mean when your thermostat goes up and down?
When your thermostat is not working properly or is stuck closed, this will not allow the coolant to properly circulate through the engine, which may cause the engine temperature to fluctuate erratically or in some cases just remain hot.
Is it OK to drive a car with a bad thermostat?
Most automobile mechanics will tell you it is not a good idea to drive your car without a thermostat installed. If your thermostat becomes stuck in the closed position, though, this will cause your engine to overheat and make driving your car impossible.
Is it hard to replace a thermostat in a car?
If the thermostat sticks in the open position, it doesn’t keep the liquid in the engine long enough, so you have trouble getting your car warmed up. Because replacing the thermostat is quite simple and thermostats are quite inexpensive, you may want to try this task before you take more drastic measures.
What causes a car temperature gauge to stay on low?
What could cause the temperature gauge to stay on low? The most common causes of why the temperature gauge stays on cold are faulty coolant temp sensor, faulty temperature gauge, broken wires, bad thermostat , and air pockets in the cooling system.
Is it safe to drive without a temperature gauge?
It’s not safe to drive without a temperature gauge, but you may want to try an aftermarket solution in the meantime, so you can keep an eye on the temperature. You don’t need to make a permanent installation; just secure it properly and use it while you wait for the replacement.
Why is the temperature gauge on the dashboard not working?
Thus, the temperature gauge on your dashboard is your window into the coolant temperature as seen by the temperature sending unit. It lets you know when the engine is cool, at operating temperature, overheating, or fluctuating. The sending unit is a thermistor. It is exposed on one side to engine coolant.
What should I do if my temperature gauge goes down?
Is there a way to check if the engine fan stays on when the temperature gauge goes down, since this only happens when i am driving and it stay down only for a few seconds. It sounds like a simple sticky thermostat. Try replacing that for about $15+/- for starters. Post back with the results. I already had the thermostat replaced a few weeks back.