Can a Car Thermostat Cause Overheating?
Introduction Understanding the purpose of the thermostat is important when diagnosing an overheating problem. Engines, due to the principal of internal combustion, create a high degree of heat. Heat applied to metal tends to expand and contract when it cools. When the engine was designed, these factors had to be taken into consideration. Design The first thing in design was to determine what would be the optimal temperature for the engine to operate and what was the total expansion at that temperature. The internal combustion engine is not a very efficient design even in its latest configurations. When an engine is cold all the parts are contracted. The pistons are loose in their bore until they heat and expand to their normal operating temperature. When they reach their target temperature, the pistons and rings will expand sufficiently to seal all the combustion gases in the cylinder with very little passing the rings. Until this temperature is reached, the rings are not tight in thei
