Can't seem to diagnose...Frustrated.

[christo829]

So you are saying that it would be surprising for it to be stuck open when the engine is cool? You speak Yoda-ish lmao and I have a hard time deciphering your language when on 10 types of pain killers

So, it doesn't need to open until the engine warms up? Which would explain why it was closed when the hubby took it out? I tried going all day without any meds...but the pain kicked in after getting the hiccups

Saying it is "stuck open" is kind of a convenient label, but isn't perfectly descriptive. Some will break, and will actually be open even when really cold.
Most just get weak, so they begin to open well before the appropriate operating temperature is reached. Once they cool off,
they'll close up again.

The engine could be at 100 degrees, and the thermostat would be closed, then start to open at 120, instead of 190. Once it cools
back down below 100 again, it would close back up, and look like it was OK.

Just be glad these aren't like the older thermostats that could just as easily fail and stay closed, resulting in fun things
like blown hoses, warped heads and seized engines...

Cheers-

Chris

 

[Voymom]

He cut the wire in the plug to the ALT.

 

[djthumper]

He cut the wire in the plug to the ALT.

How did he manage to do that? I hope he is taking it apart so that he can splice it all together.

 

[Sparky]

Holy crap! Why?

 

[Voymom]

He tried telling me how...but I really don't think he know's LOL. He spliced it I do think...at least he better have

He said something about must have hit it with a bracket or something along those lines. You know how us women work..in one ear out the other

 

[Sparky]

I thought that was what women always accused us men about, in one ear and out the other

I hope he did a good job on that splice, because that could be bad...

 

[Voymom]

I thought that was what women always accused us men about, in one ear and out the other

I hope he did a good job on that splice, because that could be bad...

Yeah, I'm having him buy a new plug at the stealership tomorrow.

 

[djthumper]

Yeah, I'm having him buy a new plug at the stealership tomorrow.

If he can buy it without the entire harness...

 

[Voymom]

If he can buy it without the entire harness...

True, but at any case we can go to O reilly's and just get the connector.

 

[christo829]

True, but at any case we can go to O reilly's and just get the connector.

Anybody got a "facepalm" icon? Just teasing! I can see how a slip with the alternator and bracket could
catch and break the wiring. Sorry to see that happen!

More to the point, are either of you handy with a soldering iron? If so, when you get the connector and pigtail
leads, you're better off soldering and shrink tubing them. Crimp splices can sometimes add resistance to the wiring (as I
found out years ago after one of our company trucks tried to become a car-b-que).

Cheers-

Chris

 

[ElAviator72]

At room temp or less, it would be surprising had it been open.

Unless the spring broke. I had a factory Ford thermostat fail because the spring broke, and it was stuck open (and the vehicle never reached operating temp).

If you want to do a post mortem on a suspected bad thermostat, a pot of boiling water on the stove does the trick

 

[davenay67]

If you have a thermometer that can measure up to 200F (most cooking ones will work nicely), then you can boil the thermostat in a pan of water and watch when it opens, then pull it out and watch it close as it cools down.

Now that you have a new thermostat you might as well just fit the new one. They aren't the most fun job in the world and you may as well have peace of mind with a new unit.

FWIW I went ahead and replaced my coolant temp sensor at the same time seeing as I was already in there and really didn't want the possibility of doing this job twice. I've been fine ever since, both thermostat and CTS were about $50 for the pair.

 

[Voymom]

Well, the thermostat works!!!! It's right on 210. Now we just need to find a stupid plug. The stealership is ordering one and it will be in tomorrow morning, but we're checking salvage yards as we don't have enough juice to pick our son up from school

Before

After

Thanks to everyone who has helped me on this!!! I appreciate it so much!

 

[MAY03LT]

That looks fixable, if you have the means to depin the connector. Each wire will have more then enough copper in between the cut end and where it's crimped to the pin to solder in extensions which would then be soldered into the vehicle harness.

 

[Sparky]

So what did the hubby say when he saw the needle hit the 210 like everyone here said it should?

 

[Voymom]

So what did the hubby say when he saw the needle hit the 210 like everyone here said it should?

He say's- HAHAHA!