If it is better to replace the thermostat on domestic cars, since it is relatively inexpensive, then on foreign cars with power steering and an ABS engine, provided that it is collapsible, it is better to try to repair it yourself or in a service first. However, experts advise not to make unnecessary movements and go straight away to buy a new one.
Instructions
Step 1
Carry out repair work by adjusting the vehicle to the inspection pit. Remove the power steering protective cover. If just pulling it off the pins is not possible, take a screwdriver and first bend the rear petal mount, and then the front. Then remove the plastic cover by simply pulling it towards you.
Step 2
Using pliers, remove the clamps from the pipes leading from the radiator to the thermostat and from the tee to the pump. Remove the hoses and drain the coolant into a basin placed under the car in advance. These actions are best performed with a cooled engine, so as not to scald your face and hands with antifreeze that splashes out due to a sharp pressure drop in the system. If you do decide to change the thermostat with a hot engine, first open the expansion tank cap or carefully pull off the hoses, gradually lowering the pressure.
Step 3
Unscrew the power steering pump together with the bracket. To do this, loosen the power steering belt tension bolts with a No. 13 wrench. Then loosen the belt by unscrewing the star bolt with a wrench and carefully remove it. Using the same wrench, unscrew all three bolts securing the bracket to the engine. Tie something around the pump or put something under it to avoid accidentally damaging it.
Step 4
Unscrew the M8 bolts of the thermostat housing using a long socket wrench # 10, remove the O-ring and the thermostat. Examine the thermostat carefully. In some cases, it can still be repaired. For example, removing limescale and removing wedging. But, unfortunately, in this case, no one will give you a guarantee that something else will not happen to him, and then you still have to buy a new thermostat.
Step 5
Treat the thermostat with a common water heater cleaner such as Anti-Scale. Boil it in this solution for 20 minutes. If the thermostat has started working (this will be seen by the opened valve in boiling water), then before installing it, flush the entire cooling system with a special composition from the arsenal of auto chemicals.
Step 6
Take a new (or "reanimated") thermostat, housing and rubber gasket and slide them into place so that nothing is twisted. Do not under any circumstances separate the body and the plastic tube that is put on it, as this can damage the inner O-ring, and this connection will simply leak.
Step 7
After you have installed the thermostat in place, put on the hoses and clamp them with clamps without screwing the power steering pump. Refill with distilled water and check if the still disconnected pump is hitting the rotating pulleys of the motor. Start the engine and check that the thermostat is not leaking.
Step 8
If the thermostat is leaking, try tightening its bolts and after fixing the problem, drain all the water. Reinstall the pump, put on the belt and adjust the tension. Put on the protective cover. Fill the cooling system with antifreeze.
