Can I drive my car if the thermostat is bad
 

Can I drive my car if my thermostat is bad I need to take my car to get the
part and then drive about 20 miles to have my son in law put it on is that
gonna hurt the car

--
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Can I drive my car if the thermostat is bad
 

On 8/23/2014 9:18 AM, Shanda wrote:
> Can I drive my car if my thermostat is bad I need to take my car to get the
> part and then drive about 20 miles to have my son in law put it on is that
> gonna hurt the car

How do you know it's bad? Is it stuck open or closed? Although
not a good practice to drive w/o a thermostat, if it is stuck closed
(no flow through it), you'll absolutely have to remove it first, then
you can use the vehicle just for the period you describe.

Can I drive my car if the thermostat is bad
 

Shanda wrote:
> Can I drive my car if my thermostat is bad I need to take my car to get the
> part and then drive about 20 miles to have my son in law put it on is that
> gonna hurt the car
>

Depends on what you mean by bad. How do you know it's bad?

If it's stuck open so the engine takes a long time to heat up, then you
shouldn't have a problem other than it doesn't warm up.

If it's stuck closed so that the engine overheats then you won't want to
drive it because it will likely overheat.

IF you think it's bad because it has already gotten hot or overheated
then it may be that damage has already been done. Depends on the engine,
how hot it got and what you did when it got hot.


--
Steve W.

Can I drive my car if the thermostat is bad
 

On Saturday, August 23, 2014 10:13:17 AM UTC-5, Steve W. wrote:
> Shanda wrote:
>
> > Can I drive my car if my thermostat is bad I need to take my car to get the
>
> > part and then drive about 20 miles to have my son in law put it on is that
>
> > gonna hurt the car
>
> >
>
>
>
> Depends on what you mean by bad. How do you know it's bad?
>
>
>
> If it's stuck open so the engine takes a long time to heat up, then you
>
> shouldn't have a problem other than it doesn't warm up.
>
>
>
> If it's stuck closed so that the engine overheats then you won't want to
>
> drive it because it will likely overheat.
>
>
>
> IF you think it's bad because it has already gotten hot or overheated
>
> then it may be that damage has already been done. Depends on the engine,
>
> how hot it got and what you did when it got hot.
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Steve W.

If you take it out and want to test it,see what the temperature rating on the it says. Put it in a pan of water on your stove. Turn on the heat and check it with a thermometer. If it is good, you should see it start opening.

Can I drive my car if the thermostat is bad
 

Shanda > wrote:
>Can I drive my car if my thermostat is bad I need to take my car to get the
>part and then drive about 20 miles to have my son in law put it on is that
>gonna hurt the car

If it's broken in a way that the engine is running too cold, you'll be fine
for 20 miles. If it's broken in a way that the engine is running too hot,
don't drive it. Watch the gauge on the instrument panel and see which it is.
--scott


--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Can I drive my car if the thermostat is bad
 

On Saturday, August 23, 2014 2:18:01 PM UTC, Shanda wrote:
> Can I drive my car if my thermostat is bad I need to take my car to get the
>
> part and then drive about 20 miles to have my son in law put it on is that
>
> gonna hurt the car
>
>
>
> --
>
> posted from
>
> http://www.motorsforum.com/tech/can-...ad-115019-.htm
>
> using MotorsForum's Web, RSS and Social Media Interface to
>
> rec.autos.tech and other automotive groups
no you cant drive

Can I drive my car if the thermostat is bad
 

My thermostat gage is not moving at all can i drive it. Its a 2001 lmp

Can I drive my car if the thermostat is bad
 

In article >,
> wrote:
>My thermostat gage is not moving at all can i drive it. Its a 2001 lmp

Maybe, but I'd fix it. The thermostat is likely fine... but someday it
might not be and you'll never know until you ruin the engine. So fix the
gauge. Likely it's just the sender and you won't even have to go into
the dashboard.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Can I drive my car if the thermostat is bad
 

Can I drive my car if the thermostat is bad
 

> wrote

> My thermostat gage is not moving at all can i drive it. Its a 2001 lmp

I'm only a week late. Hopefully you haven't destroyed your engine yet. :)

If the engine coolant is too low (or empty), the sensor won't be immersed, and
won't send a proper signal to the gauge. Once the engine gets so hot from
lack of coolant that it's about to melt, the heat will "soak" through the sensor's
body and the gauge will move. Please check your coolant level before that.