The heat is on!

You’ve brought some hot coffee with you for the journey and the car interior gets nice and warm in next to no time. That’s something that many drivers might experience when first getting into their cars in the cold and wet season. Nevertheless, many drivers do not know that the pleasant warmth in the interior does not necessarily mean that the engine has already reached its optimal operating temperature. For the best possible performance, it needs around 90 °C. To ensure that this value is reached, it is important to regularly check the corresponding indicator on the dashboard. If it is consistently below or above the desired value, this may indicate a problem with the coolant thermostat.

Possible causes include a defective water pump or a damaged cylinder head gasket. Other possibilities are rust sludge due to the use of the wrong antifreeze agent, calcification due to topping up with tap water, or porous seals and cracked casings.

Besides poorer fuel efficiency and increased exhaust emissions, there is a risk of damage to the cooling system itself and, in the worst case, complete engine failure. Therefore: Always be aware of the temperature display and act immediately if necessary. We currently stock 153 different coolant thermostats for almost 20,000 vehicle applications. Just take a look in the spare parts catalogue.