SOME MYTHS THAT ARE ACTUALLY TRUE ABOUT YOUR CAR’S ENGINE THERMOSTAT The thermostat is such a vital component to the well being of your vehicle. Yet many people remove the thermostat thinking that their engine will run cooler or better, THAT IS A MYTH. My question is, what are the possible drawbacks of not using a thermostat? Well, probably the most common response is that some people think that they have increased cooling with no thermostat. This is a myth. Too often you’ll hear people saying, “I had my thermostat taken off from my engine and my car has been running like this for years now (that part, true) and I have no issue or what so ever” (????). But have you ever wondered why they remove the thermostats? When you ask why they remove them, they will tell you that thermostats are meant to regulate engine heat in cold countries (false) and that they are NOT NEEDED IN CARS in the tropics (...oh still false). This belief make some car owners/drivers, and the so called mechanics in the tropics to remove the thermostats when the car first arrives in the country so that, according to them, the cooling fluid can circulate unrestricted to ensure the engine is cool all the time. True enough, removing the thermostat will make the car run cooler, but I dont recommend it... First off, the issue with running without a thermostat is that it if the thermostat is removed; there is no control on the rate at which coolant flows from the engine through the radiator. This, in turn, leads to “too much cooling” Laws of Thermodynamics apply here. (More flow = more cooling). Its just that simple! Virtually all automotive engines, be it petrol engine or a diesel, are not MEANT TO RUN COLD. They are designed to function optimally at a particular temperature, they are more efficient there, and engine thermostats are designed to do exactly that. Therefore you don’t want to LEAVE it out because without a thermostat in your cars engine, the cooling system’s ability to warm up the engine will be reduced, and it’ll always be running BELOW its operating temperature. This can cause premature wear and tear on your car’s engine. Generally gas mileage will decrease, engine longevity will decrease and the above-mentioned issues will occur because a cold engine does not function efficiently and a constant slow warm up will take years off of the engine . So with all the bad things that happen why would anyone even want to drive a mile without a thermostat??? PURPOSE OF A THERMOSTAT Ideally the thermostat serves two purposes: to help the engine warm up more quickly and to maintain a minimum operating temperature in your cars engine. HOW IT WORKS The thermostat sits between the engine and radiator. It opens and closes in response to changes in coolant temperature in the system .When the engine is cold, the radiator fluid is cold, thus the thermostat is in the closed position. When the engine is started, and the coolant in the engine has reached a specific temperature that particular thermostats has been designed to open at, the thermostat opens.. When it opens the coolant can now circulate through to the radiator and be cooled. The general understanding is that no t- stat at all will allow the most flow, and better cooling. What’s not understood is that most of todays cars and trucks are designed to operate “AT A CERTAIN temperature”. When the engine is running at a temperature lower than its intended operating temperature: it is inefficient, fuel consumption is high, components wear out faster, and the engine emits more exhaust emissions. A relatively constant operating temperature is absolutely essential for cleaner emissions, good fuel economy and performance. Removing the thermostat definitely does more harm than good! It will most definitely wear out your engine prematurely. Also, on modern vehicles, this could cause the check engine light to come on (otherwise known as the MIL (malfunction indicator light). All OBD-II computer controlled engines (all vehicles manufactured from ~1996 and on) monitor the Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) with a temperature sensor. If the engine fails to reach the programmed lower temperature set point, then the PCM will set a Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) in the computers memory and illuminate the Service Engine Soon (SES) light in the instrument dash panel. Therefore, if one would conclude that running a car without a thermostat is good and should be better, may find themselves with setting off the SES light and not achieving the performance and/or fuel economy they otherwise would have. If you have a problem with your cooling system, especially the thermostat, Why not just put a new one in so the cooling system works like it was designed to rather than trying to get rid of the thermostat? By replacing the thermostat for a new one, your engine will run warmer, cleaner and more efficiently (== more power) and this will help improve your vehicles fuel consumption and save our environment from the dangerous exhaust emissions. If some so called mechanic is telling you it is ok to run your vehicle without your thermostat, dont let that person ANYWHERE NEAR your vehicle, again...sorry to say this they are NOT competent or knowledgeable, they clearly do not have any clue why certain parts are fitted in or on the engines! With all due respect, the thermostat-removal phenomenon is a NO GO! Driving a car without a thermostat would be downright a very poor choice, to say the least. It ONLY hampers your engine performance. It will ONLY cause your engine to have a shorter life than intended.This is NO myths, fanatism or fallacies– regardless of what some claim. IN SIMPLE, PLAIN NON-TECHNICAL language, it’s really bad for your engine, and overall it can possibly cost your engines life and my advice would not be to risk this one if you want to give your engine the best chance to have a full life. Like us at Facebook/mupatimotors for vehicle check ups & maintenance or give us a call at 0977 1992 36 or 0955 1000 45.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 11:18:00 +0000
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