The Myth About Thermostat

It’s sad that most cars on our roads today run without a thermostat. This is because they think it causes overheating and that the thermostat is meant for cars that operate in the colder regions of the world but this is not the case.

This myth has been passed around by mechanic to vehicle owners for years, which has now made it the norm for any vehicle which comes into the country to have its thermostat removed but this act causes more harm than good to the vehicle.

A car thermostat has two separate functions but these functions are also interconnected.

Firstly it there to bring the engine up to its optimum operating temperature as quickly as possible and secondly it maintains the engine at an optimum operating temperature thereafter.

Motor vehicle engines are built to operate 80°C and above and the last time I checked there is no country in the world that’s that hot.

An internal combustion engine operates most efficiently at high temperature, which in turn reduces Wear on the moving parts and thermal efficiency is increased by operating at this temperature.

The thermostat is constantly moving throughout its range, increasing or decreasing flow of engine coolant to the radiator, in response to changes in power output due to vehicle operating load, vehicle speed, and external temperature, always keeping the engine at its optimum operating temperature.

Not having a thermostat in your engine causes

1.       The engine to overcool causes inefficient combustion

2.       It causes increased fuel consumption

3.       It increased wear with consequent reduced engine life.

So if you have had the thermostat of your engine removed you please do replace it so that your vehicle can operate at its full potential and also save money from lower fuel consumptions.