Stuck Thermostat Perhaps

[willy65000]

I've got an 03 that hasn't been putting out a lot of heat. While poking around under the hood to try and figure out why, I noticed that even after driving the car for a fair amount of time (fifteen minutes or so) the lower radiator hose is not even warm. The temp gauge still sits right in the middle where it always has and the radiator isn't boiling over or anything. Should this concern me or is this normal when outside temps are cold?

Thanks,

Bill

[mikered30]

How cold does it get in MN? Might try putting a small piece of cardboard over your condenser/radiator. When was the coolant changed and what was the ratio? How warm was the upper rad hose?

[willy65000]

The outside temp is around five above zero so it's pretty cold. It is due for a coolant change cause I've had it for two years and haven't done it. I'd like to wait until spring before I tackle that and flush the radiator core at the same time in order to solve my lack of heat problem. I don't want to dig into it now cause I'd be forced to do it in the garage and would have to get pretty creative with my now frozen garden hose and trying not to make a mess. I'm just hoping that for now someone else who lives in a cold climate can tell me if the thermostat not opening on really cold days is normal or not.

Thanks

[highpsi4]

Yea, it really sounds like a stuck open thermostat. Have you checked the coolent level?

[mikered30]

What if anything is under the oil cap ? Does it look like mayo?

[willy65000]

Nothing under the oil cap. Mayo like substance means head gasket failure doesn't it?

[Zembonez]

Feeling the temp of the hoses really doesn't tell you much in cold weather. It might be worth a thermostat swap to see if it improves things.

[mikered30]

Originally Posted by willy65000

Nothing under the oil cap. Mayo like substance means head gasket failure doesn't it?

Mayo is usually condensation. A stuck open thermostat will likely cause condensation to form.

[willy65000]

If the upper hose is hot and the lower is cold wouldn't that mean it's stuck in the closed position if in fact there's even a problem? Do any of you guys live in a state that's really cold right now? If so, I'd be curious to know if when you drive your car for fifteen minutes or so your lower radiator hose is cold or hot?

[ryfly]

Originally Posted by willy65000

If the upper hose is hot and the lower is cold wouldn't that mean it's stuck in the closed position if in fact there's even a problem? Do any of you guys live in a state that's really cold right now? If so, I'd be curious to know if when you drive your car for fifteen minutes or so your lower radiator hose is cold or hot?

15 min sounds about right depending on load conditions.

If the thermostat gets to the middle, about 170F to 185F and your engine maintains that, then its not your thermostat.

Often i see the heating element of the car clogged or pump failure.

Find a OBDII live data scanner and monitor ECT temps, etc and report back to us.

[willy65000]

I'm leaning towards the element being clogged as well. The car's been acting this way for a year and a half with no over heating so it's probably not the water pump.

Thanks,

Bill