Can you change the thermostat on a Mazda 3?
The thermostat really isn’t difficult to change – just requires an 8mm swivel socket and some small hands! Yeah, a good way to tell if it’s likely the thermostat itself, is by timing how long the engine takes to warm up to operating temp during normal driving. It should generally get up to normal temp (needle in the middle) within 5 minutes.
Why does my Mazda3 engine light not come on?
That’s what was happening with my Daughter’s 06 Mazda3 and my 06 Mercury Milan (same 2.3 L engine and thermostat, except the housing on the Mazda is a little longer). The engine light does not come on after the replacement. The early thermostat and housing is just not a good design.
Is the coolant thermostat easy to change?
The thermostat was absolutely the issue from being stuck open. The thermostat is really easy to change as long as you can get the car off the ground enough to reach your arm from the bottom and top to get the 3 bolts that hold it on. My buddy has a lift in his garage, so everything was easy to reach.
How do you know if your coolant thermostat is stuck?
Yeah, a good way to tell if it’s likely the thermostat itself, is by timing how long the engine takes to warm up to operating temp during normal driving. It should generally get up to normal temp (needle in the middle) within 5 minutes. If it doesn’t, replacing the (most likely) stuck open thermostat would be the way to go.
The thermostat really isn’t difficult to change – just requires an 8mm swivel socket and some small hands! Yeah, a good way to tell if it’s likely the thermostat itself, is by timing how long the engine takes to warm up to operating temp during normal driving. It should generally get up to normal temp (needle in the middle) within 5 minutes.
That’s what was happening with my Daughter’s 06 Mazda3 and my 06 Mercury Milan (same 2.3 L engine and thermostat, except the housing on the Mazda is a little longer). The engine light does not come on after the replacement. The early thermostat and housing is just not a good design.
The thermostat was absolutely the issue from being stuck open. The thermostat is really easy to change as long as you can get the car off the ground enough to reach your arm from the bottom and top to get the 3 bolts that hold it on. My buddy has a lift in his garage, so everything was easy to reach.
Where can I buy a new thermostat for my car?
Before following this how-to, the thermostat you should buy should come from the dealer and be OEM. It’s around $50-60. Link to part number. Verify with a dealer that the part number is correct for your vehicle. Reference purpose only. There are many documented cases of aftermarket thermostats failing fairly quickly.