Thermostat lifespan?

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
The oe mopar stats are junk. Mine stuck open @ 24k. Dealer warantied it and that one didnt make it to 50k. I put a mopar one in and it was stuck by 75k. Been using stant and robertshaw ever since.


Chris, how did you know it was stuck open ?

 

[DeepFriar]

I shouldn't say it out loud but I'm currently at 249K and counting on the Nissan. Same water pump too. I'm sure that pride goeth before the fall.......Look for reports of a failure soon.

 

[SilverFusion2010]

If the coolant has been maintained, the thermostat shouldn't have problems. If the coolant got worn out and the corrosion started.... That's s different kettle

 

[HoosierJeeper]

Coolant gets changed every 2-3 years and right now it looks new.

 

[dlundblad]

I had about 170kish on my original thermostat when it started becoming stuck open. I replaced it with a Mopar thermostat and have about 25k and almost 2 years of issue free use.

I'd personally consider a thermostat purchase and replacement in the future, but wouldn't worry about it for the trip. How hard is it on these libertys?

 

[HoosierJeeper]

Not too hard, until one of the bolts breaks. I've been told to do it with the engine hot, at least get them broken free.

It's at the lower radiator hose.

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: Chris142
The oe mopar stats are junk. Mine stuck open @ 24k. Dealer warantied it and that one didnt make it to 50k. I put a mopar one in and it was stuck by 75k. Been using stant and robertshaw ever since.


Chris, how did you know it was stuck open ?
it will run too cold and throw a p0128 code. When I removed it I could see it was open.

 

[UberArchetype]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
And cars do throw codes for "running cool."

You might be surprised to know the true dearth of low coolant temp-related fault conditions coded out there in the automotive electronics ecosystem. High, yes. Low, NEVER saw or heard of one. It's a programming logic conundrum no auto maker I am aware of has reasonably solved. Too many uncontrolled variables, climate being the big one.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Chris, how did you know it was stuck open ?

You live in the wrong climate, Merk.

When the thermostat stuck open on my Town Car, I was on the highway on a -30 day. When I was freezing, when normally the car keeps me warm, I knew the thermostat was stuck open.

 

[Olas]

If the current stat still operates I'd leave it until it fails. Take a replacement with you on the road trip so you can replace it if you need to.

 

[circuitsmith]

I've always changed the 'stat (and radiator cap) every other coolant change.
That's every 10 years now, 4 years back in the days of green coolant.

 

[jeepman3071]

I recommended the Stant Superstat previously, but I'd also not replace it unless you need to. If it is working fine, and the coolant is in good shape, I wouldn't mess with it.

 

[Bgallagher]

I say if it ain't broke don't fix it but that being said if it were to fail while off-roading for example you can take out the thermostat, plug it back up and you will be able to drive someplace to get a new one. It would be more of an issue if you did this first thing in the morning when the engine was cold.

 

[Kira]

I wonder if there's a correlation between the increased longevity of cars in general and the increase in our experiences with failed stats.

IOW: A person driving cars reaching 200K will experience more bad stats than in the days of 80K being a shamefully old car.

 

[ltslimjim]

I agree with others saying buy a replacement but only to stash for emergencies and keep the OE installed while maintaining the coolant itself.

Story time: A '99 Dodge Stratus I previously owned began not generating enough warm air in the winter one year. Sure enough when the housing was removed (easily enough on these models) there wasn't even a stat anymore. Literally, it appeared as though half of the T-Stat melted away and went into the block somewhere.

 

[TX_1821]

Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
I recommended the Stant Superstat previously, but I'd also not replace it unless you need to. If it is working fine, and the coolant is in good shape, I wouldn't mess with it.


I concur.
Replaced 1 at 150k with a stant and its been working perfectly.
Seem like there of decent quality, compared to any parts store I've had.

 

[PandaBear]

Personally I think OEM is the right way to go. My stant got stuck closed, and somehow it causes pressure / vacuum problem inside the radiator that end up warping my head, yet the engine temp gauge never move away from the middle until it suddenly reach 3/4 to red. That's just a couple minutes and it was enough to warp my head.

From now on I'd put stat in the OEM only list. I don't even trust STANT for that now.

 

[nthach]

I can't speak to the Americans, but Japanese OEM t-stats tend to live a good, long life - aftermarket ones unless it's from the OEM supplier are nowhere close to them. I never replaced one on the current fleet yet.

German ones also last a while too. For American applications, I prefer Stant's Superstat if possible. I replaced a t-stat on a friend's Explorer and the aftermarket Motorad(AZ box) didn't fit right, I got an OEM piece that was made in Germany.

 

[bunnspecial]

Originally Posted By: PandaBear
Personally I think OEM is the right way to go. My stant got stuck closed, and somehow it causes pressure / vacuum problem inside the radiator that end up warping my head, yet the engine temp gauge never move away from the middle until it suddenly reach 3/4 to red. That's just a couple minutes and it was enough to warp my head.

From now on I'd put stat in the OEM only list. I don't even trust STANT for that now.


Your description of the temperature gauge is par for the course for modern cars, where the temp gauge is often not much more than a glorified idiot light.

Specifically, on most modern cars the gauge will creep up to operating temperature and then park mid-range as long as the engine stays within "acceptable" temperatures. Usually, the only time the needle moves past half range is if the car is truly overheating. There are often two positions past center-a "things are getting really hot" position and a "shut the engine down now" position. I had a small issue with an air bubble on a temp sensor in my LS a while back, and it went into "limp home mode" because it thought the engine was at the "dangerous" point.

If you're inclined, you can tap into the ACTUAL temps with an OBD-II reader and see that the temperature does vary and doesn't stay centered like the needle suggests.

 

[SilverFusion2010]

I have a reader and once Jadzia is warmed up she stays in an 8 degree range. 210-216. If I really start whaling on the throttle I can see 220