8th Generation Honda Civic Forum - View Single Post - bad thermostat symptoms?
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Old 06-29-2009, 11:59 PM   #4 (permalink)
habitat
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NorCal
Age: 27
Posts: 4,629
In my experience, the thermostat is purely mechanical. It functions to restrain the liquid coolant to your engine when the coolant is cold (like in the mornings) to heat up the coolant to operating temperature quicker. After a certain temperature it automatically opens to allow full circulation though your heater core. That is why it takes a few minutes for your heat to come on during cold mornings. Your fan should come on when the coolant is too hot. If your thermostat is stuck in the blocked position, it could overheat quicker, it will also completely disable your heater from working. So, start up your car and when it warms up, check if the heater works, if the answer is no, you may well have a broken thermostat.
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