An engine thermostat works during cold engine starts. It has a
valve that prevents the water/coolant to flow in the radiator when the engine
has not reached it's normal operating temperature yet, therefore helping it
warm up. Once it reaches the normal operating temperature, the
thermostat opens up and lets the water circulate.
I don't know about you, but in my circle of car guy friends a large percentage of them have already removed the thermostat completely from their engines. I have always had this debate in my head why this is and if it's advisable to do so. It was a bitter-sweet feeling when recently, Ace put me in a situation that would help me come to a conclusion. My engine thermostat gave out. Major suckage.
It happened right after I had the radiator cleaned (tried
Lavramon) in Sucat. I was driving home, listening to Mariah Carey songs, all smiles with my newly cleaned radiator, when my eyes locked on my temperature. It was so high that it almost touched the red line. I believe my exact words were, "#@$% ^&*#@!!!" So I had no choice but to drive it back to the shop.
We found out that the thermostat is stuck closed, clogging the water way, therefore making the engine overheat. My mechanic's solution was just to remove the thermostat completely. He said it wouldn't cause any harm to the engine except for the fact that it would take more time for it to warm up and reach it's normal operating temperature. It was already 5 PM and all auto-supply shops are already closed. So even though I was reluctant, I had no choice but to give him the green light. So now, Ace is running thermostat-less.
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Honda Accord Thermostat |
Although I trust my mechanic and although Ace is running fine without a thermostat, it still bothered me knowing that my engine is missing a part. So I decided to ask a handful of my car gurus. Should I have a thermostat? Or should I ditch it completely too? Here's what I gathered...