With summer right around the corner, you might be tempted to remove the thermostat from your car. Doing so lets your car run cooler. But the real question is, should you?
Here’s everything you need to know what the car thermostat does and why removing it is a bad idea.
What Exactly Does a Thermostat Do in A Car?
Every function in a car follows a meticulous structure that helps it run smoothly.
For the engine, this means working at a particular operating temperature and not going below or above the designated range. Most engines usually run the risk of overheating.
That’s why they come equipped with a temperature controlling system.
However, a car’s cooling system can easily get influenced by external factors.
The most obvious culprit is high temperatures during the summer. To keep monitoring the car’s temperature and to regulate it, most cars come with a built-in thermostat.
The thermostat works to ensure that the car stays in the optimal temperature range.
When the car is cooler than the required engine temperature, the thermostat restricts the coolant flow.
On the other hand, if the engine is running too hot, the thermostat raises the flow of coolant to cool the engine down.
How Many Thermostats Does a Car Have?
On average, a car comes with two built-in thermostats. However, this isn’t always true in every car.
You might find one thermostat or might find more than two thermostats depending on your car.
Commonly, a car has two thermostats, one connected to your engine’s coolant system while the other is connected with the car’s AC system.
Why Would You Want to Remove a Thermostat?
The engine temperature might not reach the required level. In this situation, people might be tempted to remove the thermostat to help push the engine to the right temperature for better performance.
However, removing the thermostat comes with far too many cons compared to the supposed benefits it provides.
Removing the thermostat could instead make your car blow cold air from the heater.
What Are the Benefits of Removing a Thermostat?
Any good mechanic worth their salt will let you know that there’s no benefit of removing the thermostat from your car.
Despite this, car owners come across the recommendation of removing the thermostat at least once.
Should You Drive a Car Without a Thermostat?
You should never drive your car without a thermostat. You’ll essentially be putting your car under immerse pressure and essentially creating the perfect circumstances to destroy your car’s performance.
However, if you must drive your car without a thermostat, you can use this hack until you find a new thermostat.
You can keep a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator and the car’s grill. This will work to regulate the temperature somewhat and stop the cold air from flowing across the radiator, keeping the coolant hot.
This method comes with its own set of risks but you can avoid most of them by keeping a close eye on the car’s temperature.
If the temperature rises and the engine is in danger of overheating, stop your car immediately.
What Are the Disadvantages of Removing a Thermostat?
You might be wondering what exactly is the fuss about removing a thermostat. Here’s a detailed look at what effect removing the thermostat will have on your car.
Fuel Consumption
Without the thermostat, a car will not have an efficient cool-down system.
This in turn will stop the car from reaching the optimal temperature needed to run the car efficiently.
Driving without a thermostat will mess up your car’s ability to adjust the engine’s temperature, making it think that it’s cold outside. This in turn will trigger the car to push more fuel into the engine, leading to higher fuel consumption per mile.
High Wear
The second effect is the most serious of them all: high wear and tear.
A car’s internal components are interconnected with each other.
Removing even one component from the equation can have drastic consequences on your car’s overall performance.
The resulting inconsistency in the heating and cooling system of your car as well as the engine having no tool regulating the car’s temperature can permanently damage the internal components of your car, accelerating the rate of wear.
Emissions
If you’re concerned about the carbon footprint you leave behind with your car, then there’s another reason why you shouldn’t remove the thermostat.
Related to the previous point, as your engine consumes more fuel, the engine becomes more vulnerable to leaks and deposits built up.
This can contribute to increasing the level of emissions.
High Maintenance Costs
As mentioned before, removing the thermostat has a domino effect on the rest of the internal components of your car.
The increased burden on the engine and the lack of temperature regulation breaks down vital parts and cause them to wear out faster.
This in turn will mean more visits to your local mechanic and a huge dent on your wallet as you struggle to maintain the dropping performance of your car.
Compromises the coolant system
The thermostat plays a vital role in the flow of coolant between the radiator and the engine.
The radiator is responsible for cooling the coolant when the engine comes close to overheating and keeps the engine operating at the optimal temperature.
Without the thermostat regulating this system, the radiator is unable to understand when to cool the coolant.
It can end up drastically reducing the car’s temperature which ultimately creates build-up that can end up damaging the car’s engine.
Will Your Car’s Engine Overheat with A Thermostat?
No, it won’t. In reality, a thermostat works to protect the engine from overheating and to operate within the optimal temperature range as you drive.
However, if you’re driving with a faulty thermostat, your engine could potentially overheat.
One of the first things you’ll notice if your thermostat has been damaged is that your car’s temperature is higher than usual.
In this situation, all you have to do is to replace the damaged thermostat and you’ll be good to go.
Final Thoughts
A thermostat is an integral part of your car’s internal functions.
Without it, your car will experience frequent breakdowns and its absence can permanently damage your car’s engine.
A thermostat regulates the temperature of the engine. It’s strongly advised not to remove the thermostat as driving without it can drastically reduce the life of your car.
Tire Forge