First, find out what the problem is. The thermostat would not be related to you losing coolant. Does the car ever smoke at all?
I don't know about Fox's having this problem, but the 5N95 cars are notorious for getting a small pin hole in the coolant reservoir and leaking (which can be harder to spot than most people think).
On the thermostat, I think the stocker is supposed to be something like 190*. Most run like a 180* stat in the summer months. DO NOT get the 160*! It can actually cause your car to overheat!
How does a 160 t-stat cause a car to over heat? I was thinking about removing my 160 and putting in a restrictor plate with a 5/8 inch hole. Is this a bad idea.
How does a 160 t-stat cause a car to over heat? I was thinking about removing my 160 and putting in a restrictor plate with a 5/8 inch hole. Is this a bad idea.
What are your coolant temps now? Why do you want to change them?
The only exceptions are when you have a problem with the cooling system (such as a plugged up rad), or the ambient temps are extremely high (over 100F). If you have a bad cooling system component you are better off fixing what is broken. The 160F stat is a quick fix, but should not be considered permanent.
If you run your coolant below 180F you will do several things.
1. Increase cylinder bore wear. This gets much worse as the coolant temps get lower.
2. Increase emissions output. I would not recommend trying to pass an emissions test with a 160F stat.
3. Decrease engine power. When the cylinder bores get cooler the thermal efficiency of the motor decreases.
4. Decrease fuel economy. For the same reasons that power will decrease; lower thermal efficiency and poor fuel atomization.
If your coolant temps are too high it is recommended to fix the problem with the cooling system. Switching to a 160F stat, or running no stat will have numerous negative consequences.
How does a 160 t-stat cause a car to over heat? I was thinking about removing my 160 and putting in a restrictor plate with a 5/8 inch hole. Is this a bad idea.
The 160* stat will open a bit TOO SOON. Since it opens sooner, it doesn't allow the water to stay in the radiator long enough to be cooled. So in turn, hot water is replacing hot water.
I am going to say your headgasket has a tiny leak into the cylinder. I had a very tiny one like this also, but my motor would only burn maybe 1/4 a gallon in a whole season. When i went to change the intake gaskets, then touched it enough to messed up one of the hg's and really make a mess for myself. After taking off the sure blown hg, the other one was where the tiny leak was. One of the valves was white, as was the spark plug. Just dont tear into the motor until you can afford it. That leak will be okay for a little while, until you can properly fix it. One you messed with it a little, a whole slew of things are going to go. chain reaction....
Thanks for the pic roland. yeah , I saw that little gadget when I was scanning around the engine bay for loose vavuum connections and any rotted lines and such. didn't think anything of it, until just now. I'll bet you just helped more people than you could have imagined.
I can't believe no one suggested a pressure check...
There are several hose connections that could be your issue. Clamps could have pinched a line, or came loose from vibration. If you ran it hot & stresssed an old brittle hose, it could have split. I found a tiny pin hole in one hose comming of the water pump. The coolant was going onto block & burning off. I saw no apparent leaks on ground...
* I would definitely take a look at all hoses, clamp tightness, and possibly complete a heavy duty flush & sealant treatment. $60-80.00 in parts could save alot of headach & tracing...