You cannot afford to have the thermostat die on your Sprinter van. RB Auto Service can replace the van’s thermostat when it needs it. We are going to list the signs of a bad thermostat below. It’s important that you bring your Sprinter to us sooner rather than later to avoid damaging the engine irreparably. In fact, if the engine is overheating, the best idea is to have the van towed to us.
Rust On the Thermostat
One way to tell if the thermostat needs to be replaced is to inspect it to see if there is rust on it. If the thermostat is corroded, you have a small coolant leak that is coming out of the coolant valve. As the coolant seeps out of the valve, it puddles around the thermostat and hardens into a gel. This substance will start to eat through the metal housing that protects the thermostat. If you do not replace the thermostat at this time, you will end up with a more serious coolant leak.
Leaking Engine Coolant
The serious coolant leak will leave you with engine coolant on the garage floor. This, naturally, reduces the level of coolant in the engine. Operating the Sprinter van when the engine coolant is low will increase the chance of the engine overheating. If you see spots or puddles on the garage floor, check the color of the fluid that is leaking out of the Sprinter engine and compare it to the color of the coolant in the engine. If they match, your thermostat may be leaking.
Erratic Engine Temperatures
A definite sign that your thermostat is malfunctioning is erratic engine temperatures. This means your engine temperature fluctuates between cold and hot frequently. This is an indication that the thermostat is not reading the temperature correctly and releasing the coolant at the wrong times. Unfortunately, the only way to resolve this problem and restore your engine’s normal operating temperature is to replace the thermostat.
Overheating Constantly
Finally, as we have mentioned above, your engine will overheat if there is a problem with the thermostat. The cause of the overheating could be low coolant levels or a thermostat that is malfunctioning. Replacing the thermostat as soon as possible is crucial to prevent engine damage. We can do that here at our shop.
We are RB Auto Service in Pinellas Park, FL, and we’d be happy to help with your Sprinter van. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment.