Fort Collins Auto Repair

A thermostat is a small part that can cause big confusion when it starts acting up. Your car might run cooler than usual, or it might start creeping hotter in traffic, and the symptoms can feel inconsistent. One day everything looks normal, the next day the temperature gauge does something that makes you nervous. A stuck thermostat is a common cooling system issue, and the warning signs usually show up before the engine truly overheats. If you know what to watch for, you can catch it early and avoid the kind of heat stress that leads to expensive repairs. What The Thermostat Does In The Cooling System The thermostat controls coolant flow between the engine and the radiator. When the engine is cold, the thermostat stays closed so the engine warms up quickly. Once the engine reaches operating temperature, the thermostat opens to let coolant circulate through the radiator and control heat. When it works correctly, the temperature gauge stays steady after warm-up. When ... read more