How to check the thermostat
It is very easy to check the operation of the thermostat without removing it from the car. It is enough to start the cooled engine and check the temperature of the radiator pipes. In normal mode, when the engine is running, for some time after starting, only the upper radiator pipe will heat up slightly, and when the threshold value is reached, the lower pipe will also heat up sharply. This is evidence of normal valve operation. If heating of both radiator pipes begins simultaneously, this indicates that it is not functioning properly; most likely, the valve is constantly open.
The constantly open thermostat valve allows you to easily reach the nearest service station or spare parts store. It is much worse if the thermostat gets stuck closed, as there is a serious risk of engine overheating. Sometimes tapping on the thermostat body helps for a short time, but if the valve cannot budge, it should be removed or bent with a screwdriver. The thermostat must be replaced in the nearest locality.
Checking a new thermostat before installation
Before replacing the VAZ-2114 thermostat, you need to check the functionality of the new one. The check is performed in the following order:
- Fill the container with water and place the device in it.
- Place the dish with the appliance on the stove and heat it, controlling the heating temperature.
We heat the water with the device, controlling the temperature
- When the temperature rises to 85˚C, the valve will open.
Where is
It is located under the air filter housing on injection cars, but on carburetor Samara 2 (namely, the first VAZ 2115 were produced for a couple of years in a carburetor version), it is located exactly there, but the housing on them has simply been moved to a slightly different place, so it is no longer necessary on the carburetor It doesn’t take much trouble to remove the housing, but I just threw off the high-voltage wires and started working, but it doesn’t take long to remove the housing and on the injector it 100% needs to be removed to get to the thermostat, and after the housing is put aside, you will immediately see the thermostat is not armed it will even be visible to the eye (For clarity, it is indicated in the photo below with a red arrow) and next to it there is also a battery (indicated by a blue arrow) so that you understand 100% where it is and do not lose sight of it.
The principle of operation of the VAZ 2115 thermostat
In a car's engine cooling system, a thermostat automatically opens and closes a large cooling circuit for antifreeze.
Let's try to explain this in a nutshell. The engine cooling system consists of a small and a large circuit.
In the engine warm-up mode, the antifreeze is driven by the system pump only through the engine cooling jacket and the heater. This allows you to quickly heat the cylinder block to operating temperature. But further on we can’t do without additional cooling.
When a certain temperature is reached, the thermostat opens a channel into a large circuit - the coolant enters the main radiator, equipped with an additional highly efficient electric fan operating at several speeds. By opening and closing the valve, the thermostat not only maintains the set antifreeze temperature, but also ensures the energy efficiency of the power plant.
Using the VAZ 2115 car as an example, I will now show how it works:
- When the car is not warmed up, the thermostat valve is closed, as in the photo. In this case, the coolant moves in a small circle, as in the photo below.
- When the machine warms up to operating temperature (87-90 degrees), the temperature-sensitive element slowly begins to heat up, as a result of which the spring compresses, the main valve opens and the liquid flows in a large circle.
Purpose, design and principle of operation of the thermostat
The coolant circulating through the working channels of the engine blocks, its main purpose is to remove excess heat accumulated in the power unit due to the friction of the working elements of the engine and the impact of the high temperature of the exhaust gases passing through the exhaust circuit.
The main elements of the cooling system of the VAZ 2114, which are responsible for lowering the temperature of the antifreeze, are the electric cooling radiator fan and the thermostat.
To understand the principle of its operation, you need to see what the thermostat on a VAZ 2114 looks like. Structurally, it is designed in such a way that the valve that regulates the coolant flow is located inside a housing with three pipes:
- two inputs - from the engine and radiator;
- one day off - to the pump.
The main working element of the valve itself, located inside the thermostat, is a solid heat-sensitive filler, which, when heated, through a rubber insert, acts on the piston that moves the main valve. When it heats up, it opens it, when it cools down, on the contrary, it closes the hole, preventing the flow of antifreeze.
The thermostat is attached to the engine through a pipe to the cylinder head on the left side, under the air filter. It is connected to the radiator and pump using rubber pipes. On a cold engine, the valve of this coolant flow regulator is closed and after starting, the liquid that begins to be pumped by the pump forces moves along a “small circuit” or “in a small circle.” Both of these expressions are used among motorists. When moving in a small circle, the antifreeze passes through the heater radiator, intake manifold and throttle assembly. Liquid is not supplied to the radiator; the valve cuts off this path.
As the engine heats up, the coolant takes away some of the heat, heats up and, passing in a “small circle” through the thermostat, heats the temperature-sensitive element. The piston begins to move and open the main valve. This begins to happen when the liquid temperature reaches 87 degrees. In this case, part of the coolant begins to circulate through the radiator. When the temperature reaches 102 degrees, the valve opens completely, moving eight millimeters. In this mode, the entire coolant flow rushes in a “large circle” through the cooling radiator.
Experts recommend checking the operation of the thermostat without removing it from the car. To do this, after starting the engine, you need to touch the lower pipes coming from the radiator with your hands. They should be cold until the temperature rises above eighty degrees. As soon as the temperature rises above 85 degrees, the tubes should begin to heat up and after a while you can feel that the “large circle” circulation is working. The tubes should get quite hot.
If the lower pipes leaving the radiator continue to remain cold, it means the main valve has not opened and the thermostat is faulty. A malfunction of this regulator may also be indicated by the fact that the lower tubes begin to heat up almost immediately after starting the engine. This indicates that the valve is open and does not close when cold.
In both cases, a thermostat failure does not bring anything good for the engine. In the case when the valve is open, the antifreeze, passing in a “large circle,” does not have the opportunity to heat up to working condition. This reduces engine power and other performance parameters. In the case when the main valve is closed, the engine has a high risk of overheating the blocks. This is the most dangerous condition for the power unit. If you drive in this mode for some, even not very long, time, you can damage the engine, even to the point of breaking the shafts. And this, at a minimum, is a major overhaul of the entire internal combustion engine.
There is a different way to check the thermostat on a VAZ 2114. To do this, you need to pour water into a pan and, placing it on the stove to heat, immerse the thermostat there. Knowing at what temperature the thermostat on the VAZ 2114 opens, use a thermometer to monitor the heating of the water in the pan. At about 87 degrees the valve should open. If this happens, then the device is fully operational. It is better to check it in this way before installing it in place of a failed one.
Many car enthusiasts often ask specialists whether it is possible to repair the thermostat.
There is only one fairly reliable way to help the valve work. To do this, lightly hit the device body with a screwdriver several times. The impact should open the valve.
If this does not happen, then the thermostat on the VAZ 2114 needs to be replaced.
How to check the thermostat on a VAZ 2115 - two ways
In order to check the thermostat on a VAZ 2115, you must perform the following steps:
- Take a pan with cold water, a thermometer up to at least one hundred degrees and a thermostat.
- We put it all on the tile to warm up and wait... We wait until the water temperature reaches 85 degrees.
- At this point we begin to look at the main thermostat valve. At 87 degrees it should open.
- If it does not open or opened earlier, then the thermostat is faulty.
There is another way to check the thermostat without removing it from the car. But for this, the car must be cold:
- After starting the engine, grab the lower pipe coming from the radiator with your hands.
- Until the temperature reaches 80 degrees it should be completely cold. When it reaches 85 degrees, the tube should begin to warm up slowly.
- And when 90 degrees is reached, full circulation of hot coolant should begin (i.e. the valve is completely open). The lower tube should be hot.
It happens that immediately after starting the engine, when it has warmed up only 50 degrees, warm liquid begins to flow through the lower tube. This shouldn't happen either!!! This means that the valve is constantly open.
Which thermostat to choose
Motorists have no consensus on which thermostat is better. But the experience of using different devices allows us to draw several conclusions:
- High-quality domestic models of thermostats for the VAZ-2115 are capable of operating for 80-100 thousand kilometers.
- Foreign brands guarantee operation until the car travels 120,000 km or more.
- It is not recommended to purchase Chinese-made equipment.
The following models of thermostats for the VAZ-2115 are available on the domestic market, which are sold at the prices shown below:
- Russian PEKAR, costing 530 rubles;
- French VERNET, for 670 rubles;
- American GATES, priced at 525 rubles;
- domestic ELECTON - 515 rubles;
- Lugansk LUZAR - 1,000 rubles;
- VAZ AvtoVAZ - 850 rubles.
This list is not exhaustive. There are a number of other models that have proven themselves quite well. You need to decide where to choose and install the thermostat on the VAZ-2115 based on your available finances, reviews from friends and the opinions of professionals who are generously represented on the Internet.
Car thermostat: how to check, typical faults, symptoms
The thermostat is a small but important element of the car, which allows the driver to save on engine maintenance and fuel. Essentially, the thermostat is a temperature regulator in the cooling system. Due to it, the engine warm-up speed increases, and the car maintains the desired thermal conditions during operation.
The main task facing the thermostat in a car is to prevent the circulation of coolant through a large cooling circle until the engine warms up after starting.
After starting the engine, the antifreeze begins to circulate in a small circle until it reaches an operating temperature of approximately 90 degrees Celsius. Having warmed up, the coolant enters a large circulation circle and circulates through it until it cools down again (due to various reasons).
Through its actions, the thermostat maintains the operating temperature in the engine, preventing it from overheating or excessively cooling.
Features of the VAZ-2115 thermostat and its operating principle
The thermostat is an essential element in a vehicle's cooling system. A new domestically produced part can withstand from 80,000 kilometers to 100,000 kilometers, and an imported one - about 120,000 kilometers. It is very important that the thermostat is of high quality, so it is necessary to purchase it for replacement in specialized auto stores.
A car thermostat controls the temperature of the coolant (for example, antifreeze), and distributes it among circulation circles - small and large. If the vehicle engine and cooling fluid are cold, the thermostat valve will be closed, allowing the small circulation circle to operate.
As soon as the optimal temperature regime of the cooling liquid is reached, the thermostatic valve will operate, that is, it will open and a large circulation circle will come into effect.
The flow of coolant will enter the radiator, and the temperature will stop increasing, and its level will stabilize - optimally 90 degrees. This is the principle of operation of the thermostat element in good condition.
Let's sum it up
As you can see, checking and replacing the thermostat on a VAZ 2114 is a fairly clear and not complicated procedure. If necessary, all work can be done in a regular garage with your own hands.
As for everyday operation, experts recommend periodically monitoring the temperature of the coolant, monitoring the coolant level, and checking the functionality of the thermostat without removing it (the first and second methods are discussed above).
Finally, we note that the efficiency of the cooling system also directly depends on the tightness of the system and the proper operation of all elements. Another important role is played by the general condition of the coolant itself (TOSOL or antifreeze). If there are malfunctions in the operation of the cooling system due to a faulty thermostat, it is necessary to at least replace this element.
At the same time, you need to check the quality of operation of the cooling fan, VAZ 2114 stove, etc. The fact is that even on a serviced system, the stove radiator can fail at the most inopportune moment.
In any case, the right approach and comprehensive maintenance will avoid possible problems not only with the thermostat, but also with other elements of the engine cooling system, and the engine will always operate at the optimal temperature in summer and winter.
Source
When does a thermostat need to be replaced?
For proper operation of a vehicle, it is important that the temperature of its engine is within the same limits. This can be achieved through the use of coolant - antifreeze or antifreeze - and the proper operation of the entire cooling system of the car. As soon as the temperature begins to exceed the required limits (most often it is 90 degrees), you should check the car thermostat for serviceability. If it turns out that this part is out of order, then there will be a need to replace it with a new one.
