If it needs thermostat, will it need head gasket?

[dereksbicycles]

What is the chance that a vehicle with bad thermostat will need head gasket? As you can guess, many people drive a vehicle and let thermostat get bad. Then engine will eventually overheat, right?

 

[Babyblue]

Wirelessly posted

Depends on the vehicle, and how long you let it run hot. I saw my car run hot and imediately pulled into a gas station. Found a water hose and sprayed it on the radiator to cool the engine. Then shut my car off. Called my nephew, he got me a new thermostat, replaced it and now my car runs find.
So I voted somewhat, since it depends.

 

[diehardbiker]

Not likely, and I never saw one (Thermostat) that cause head gasket blown.

 

[Bottesini]

Poll left out the option.. "WHAT???"

 

[dereksbicycles]

Not likely, and I never saw one (Thermostat) that cause head gasket blown.

What problems would a bad thermostat cause if you don't mind?

 

[Calvin]

Overheating causes failures in aluminum engines and head gaskets to fail too. Once an engine overheats, things start to break down and will have internal leaking.

A stuck thermostat causes overheating, it happened to me once car I used to own. I still keep losing coolant and it was not dripping, one of the possibility is burning coolant or internal leak.

Overheating is expensive repair.... best to avoid hitting the "H" mark.

 

[The Highlander]

What is the chance that a vehicle with bad thermostat will need head gasket? As you can guess, many people drive a vehicle and let thermostat get bad. Then engine will eventually overheat, right?

How you know it was bad thermostat?

Thermostat is stuck open don't mean overheat and blew the head gasket. stuck open made engine takes forever to warm up.

If Engine get overheat quick then coolant is low fluid OR thermostat get stuck close.

 

[ambrosia]

This is making me think of a question I need to ask. I'll make another thread.

 

[dereksbicycles]

How you know it was bad thermostat?

Thermostat is stuck open don't mean overheat and blew the head gasket. stuck open made engine takes forever to warm up.

If Engine get overheat quick then coolant is low fluid OR thermostat get stuck close.

I ask as I saw a vehicle on craigslist that I liked, but it needed a thermostat. I worry that it would have internal damage to engine. Why would someone sell a vehicle simply because it needed a thermostat?

 

[ambrosia]

I ask as I saw a vehicle on craigslist that I liked, but it needed a thermostat. I worry that it would have internal damage to engine. Why would someone sell a vehicle simply because it needed a thermostat?

My thermostat, to replace it is a $300 job, I've done it twice. They have to pull a lot of stuff out to get to the thermostat, so the cost is almost all labor. COuld be similar problem, they don't have the money to fix it?

 

[dereksbicycles]

My thermostat, to replace it is a $300 job, I've done it twice. They have to pull a lot of stuff out to get to the thermostat, so the cost is almost all labor. COuld be similar problem, they don't have the money to fix it?

Would be. I would understand giving up vehicle if head gasket is bad, but thermostat is not that much money. I kind want to look beyond surface, you know.

 

[diehardbiker]

Thermostat is very easy to replace, and they aren't expensive. I have replaced thermostats many times, never had issue with engine other than COLD air coming out of heater when engine has warmed up already.

There are many ways for engine to overheat, not just thermostat.

 

[deafsmogtech]

I would check the engine cooling system with block/head gasket tester. Most repair shops have it. Or I can check HC emits from neck of the radiator with smog sniff prober. If you neglect or ignore the red mark in water gauge, then you get large repair bill.

 

[deafsmogtech]

I see more newer cars have high coolant temperature like over 210 degree F, than older vehicle. Why? Too lean air/fuel ratio that creates more hot and high NOx....

 

[deafsmogtech]

How you know it was bad thermostat?

Thermostat is stuck open don't mean overheat and blew the head gasket. stuck open made engine takes forever to warm up.

If Engine get overheat quick then coolant is low fluid OR thermostat get stuck close.

Open stuck can cause the engine running rich air/fuel metering or poor mileage because computer for fuel injection system, think engine is cold, dump more fuel. On newer vehicle, if computer see cold coolant temperature with engine long running or time expires, computer will flag to the dash (Check Engine light).

 

[deafsmogtech]

Anytime you are heavy A/C user in your vehicle if A/C shut suddenly, what next? Check your water temperature first. I've been diagnosis inoperative A/C system, turn out to fault thermostat (overheating) because computer shut A/C system down after see high temperature range signal from engine coolant sensor. Even bad cooling fan motors.... Even computer can disable engine when you are about restart the overheated engine.

 

[Calvin]

I've heard of new modern engine computer system can shut down engine when they detect a danger of overheating as well as no oil. They're designed to protect the engine from death. Some do have RPM limiter and speed governor which doesn't surprise me. I had speed governed at a brand new rented Ford Edge that limited to 80mph.

Anytime you are heavy A/C user in your vehicle if A/C shut suddenly, what next? Check your water temperature first. I've been diagnosis inoperative A/C system, turn out to fault thermostat (overheating) because computer shut A/C system down after see high temperature range signal from engine coolant sensor. Even bad cooling fan motors.... Even computer can disable engine when you are about restart the overheated engine.

 

[deafsmogtech]

I've heard of new modern engine computer system can shut down engine when they detect a danger of overheating as well as no oil. They're designed to protect the engine from death. Some do have RPM limiter and speed governor which doesn't surprise me. I had speed governed at a brand new rented Ford Edge that limited to 80mph.

Yep, save the owner financial situation. I'm not happy about it.

 

[The Highlander]

I ask as I saw a vehicle on craigslist that I liked, but it needed a thermostat. I worry that it would have internal damage to engine. Why would someone sell a vehicle simply because it needed a thermostat?

Why someone should sell vehicle because they can't afford to replace the new thermostat for $5-$10?

Open stuck can cause the engine running rich air/fuel metering or poor mileage because computer for fuel injection system, think engine is cold, dump more fuel. On newer vehicle, if computer see cold coolant temperature with engine long running or time expires, computer will flag to the dash (Check Engine light).

Some customers don't noticed or don't care about poor MPG. Just complained about it took forever to warm up for heat up to driver during winter time like 20F to -5F here.

 

[The Highlander]

I've heard of new modern engine computer system can shut down engine when they detect a danger of overheating as well as no oil. They're designed to protect the engine from death. Some do have RPM limiter and speed governor which doesn't surprise me. I had speed governed at a brand new rented Ford Edge that limited to 80mph.

Yes, GM already have one like that since 2011. I believe.