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Mercedes is a leading luxury brand that is designed with the best auto performance possible. To enjoy the high performance of this car brand, your vehicle needs to function at an optimum temperature. That is where a thermostat comes in.
When the thermostat in your Mercedes engine begins to malfunction, it becomes a cause for concern. If this component becomes faulty and the issue is not checked, the engine overheats, and you may not obtain the correct temperature reading. This exposes your Mercedes engine to possible breakdown, which may require extensive and costly repairs. Below, we will check out some causes of thermostat failure and what should be done if this happens in your Mercedes.
How the Thermostats Works
The combustion of air and gasoline creates heat while your Mercedes engine works. Some of this heat is what powers your Mercedes, but the majority of it must be removed from the engine to prevent it from overheating. This is when the cooling system and thermostat come to play.
The thermostat is a component of the cooling system which regulates the flow of coolant. When the engine temperature reaches a specific level, this valve ensures that the needed amount of coolant flows through the engine. The thermostat transmits temperature to the vehicle’s temperature gauge, which illuminates on your dashboard when something is wrong.
When your thermostat breaks or malfunctions, it is unable to detect changes in temperature inside the engine. This implies that if the temperature rises over a certain threshold, it may be unable to detect it and allow coolant to flow from the radiator to cool the engine. As a result, your engine could overheat, exposing it to more serious problems.
What Causes Thermostat Failure?
- Natural Wear and Tear: Wear and tear is a major cause of thermostat failure. The thermostat, like all other car components, wears down with time. The high heat generated by your engine while it runs may quicken the rate of wear. A faulty thermostat is likely to cause more serious issues, such as coolant leakage. Because the thermostat is a valve that permits coolant to flow, when it breaks, this flow is substantially hindered. This might cause coolant to spill from the cooling system and onto other areas of the engine. Leaking coolant exposes your engine to overheat. You should maintain your Mercedes before it reaches that level. A Mercedes expert can assist you in determining the source of your leaks, as thermostat malfunction is not always the culprit.
- Faulty Temperature Gauge: In addition to normal wear and tear, your thermostat might be malfunctioning due to a defective temperature gauge. Recall that the temperature gauge receives data from the thermostat and transmits it to the vehicle’s onboard computer, which then responds to that data. When the temperature gauge is inaccurate, it may give out incorrect information, causing the cooling system, including the thermostat, to malfunction. You will need to visit a Mercedes professional who is knowledgeable about such difficulties in order to fully diagnose this problem.
Look for These Signs of Thermostat Failure
When your Mercedes thermostat malfunctions, you’ll notice certain warning indications. The first symptom is that your dashboard’s temperature gauge will remain red. If the thermostat fails, the engine overheating light may also remain illuminated since there will be no coolant flow through the thermostat to cool the engine.
Similarly, the temperature sensor on your dashboard may be unreliable. You may notice that it reports very high temps one minute and low temperatures the next. This might be because the thermostat is giving inaccurate information to the temperature gauge.
Coolant leak in the thermostat housing is another indicator of thermostat failure. A professional mechanic will need to investigate the cause of the coolant leak.
Terry Sayther Automotive: Your Mercedes Specialist
When your engine overheats, other components can easily degrade, necessitating expensive repairs. To avoid this, contact our Mercedes professionals as soon as possible to assist you in resolving the issue!
Terry Sayther Automotive will help you prolong the life of your Mercedes model. We are pleased to service car owners in and around Buda, Kyle, Lakeway, Tarrytown, and Austin, TX. Call us as soon as you see any indicators of thermostat failure, and we’ll have it fixed for your safety and comfort while driving!