Thermostat/Temp???

[shrkfan00]

Is there a way to test the thermostat? My temp guage never passes the "n" in normal and the heater does not blow very hot air. The previous owner put in a new radiator and possibly a water pump. I am wondering if the thermostat is stuck open or something.

 

[mikeinri]

In my opinion, it's cheap enough just to replace the t-stat. You'd have to remove it to test it anyway (boiling water test), and you'd need to buy a new gasket (new t-stats come with gaskets).

Mike

 

[Mickelsons]

I would test the new one anyway in a pot of boiling water. with at thermometer look to see what temp it starts to open then when it is fully open shut off the heat and see when if fully closes, I have purchased new thermostats that were faulty, so since it is out anyway I would take a little time to test it before installing.

 

[mikeinri]

That's a good point, lots of people prefer to test the new ones, since they can be defective right out of the box.

Mike

 

[shrkfan00]

Cool, I will just replace it, but shouldn't the guage get into the normal range?

 

[Maniak]

The answer is maybe.. The factory gauge isn't very accurate.. The sending unit could be getting weak, the connections could be getting corroded. Its just sending the difference between voltage and ground..

To get an idea of what temp its really got, grab one of those infared thermometers.. When on sale the 300F one is well under $20 at harbor freight tools. I used that after the rebuild because it was always reading in the A-L in normal. I thought something was wrong.. I used the infared meter and saw the upper hose was around 198-200F when it was beteen the A and L.. I didn't believe it so I added another aftermarket gauge (the kind with two wires so it has its own ground) and turns out the little infared thing was right..

~Mark