This article will propose a consideration of replacing the thermostat on a VAZ-2112 car. All issues of interest will be discussed in detail in this work. What is a thermostat? What is it for? How to replace it? Small circle and large circle, differences? All these and other questions will be directly addressed and described in detail in this article.
Video about replacing the thermostat on a VAZ-2112 with your own hands:
The video shows the process of replacing a thermostat, choosing a thermostat and tips for carrying out work to remove it.
What is a thermostat?
This is not a standard 6 "hole" thermostat
The thermostat itself is an important part in the engine cooling system. It is designed to ensure that the engine is cooled according to its needs.
Cooling system diagram
For example, you started the engine “cold”, then at degrees from 80 to 90 a large circle opens and liquid enters the radiator and begins to cool the engine more intensively than in a small circle.
Thermostat operating principle
The thermostat itself consists of:
- Frame.
- Internal compartment.
- 2 pipes with valves.
- "Core". Thermoelement (copper powders, a mixture of granulated wax, graphite and aluminum in a special proportion).
- Valves.
How to identify a breakdown?
The engine begins to overheat or does not reach operating temperature - these are the main two criteria for a faulty thermostat.
But there are also auxiliary signs: there is no heat in the cabin when it gets cold, a decrease in dynamic performance (power, speed), increased fuel consumption (about the passport consumption standards here).
Types of thermostat breakdowns
- The valve on the thermostat is stuck.
- “Stuck” or does not open at all.
- Incorrect start time.
The process of replacing a thermostat on a VAZ 16 valve engine
1
.
We drain the coolant, since otherwise it will not be possible to disconnect the thermostat (there will be liquid in the system). 2
. Remove the air filter housing so that it does not interfere with further work.
3
. After the 2 operations performed above, you can begin to remove the thermostat. First, take a screwdriver (or a wrench, depending on the fastener on the clamp). We unscrew the clamps on two hoses (to the coolant pump and the hose to the radiator) and loosen them.
4
. Now you will need to unscrew the 3 bolts that secure the thermostat cover using a hexagon.
5
. After this operation, remove the thermostat from the air filter, pay attention to the rubber in the thermostat, if it is intact, then we use a new one; if it is cracked or torn, we also replace it.
6
. Installing a new thermostat is carried out in the reverse order 4 – 3 – 2 – 1.
With my own hands. Checking and replacing the VAZ 2110 thermostat.
A burst radiator, of course, can be a pity. However, it’s even worse when the engine seizes due to such a seemingly trifle as a non-working thermostat. This is the brain center of the entire cooling and heating system; the thermostat determines how the engine copes with loads and how much fuel it consumes. How to properly check the thermostat on VAZ 2110-2112 engines, how to find a replacement, how to change it correctly and quickly with your own hands - we’ll figure it out right now.
Symptoms and diagnostics
- The first sign of thermostat failure is engine overheating. This situation occurs if the heat-sensitive plate does not open when it reaches 87 degrees, then the coolant turns into heating fluid. The motor does not cool properly and overheats.
- When the bimetallic plate hangs in an intermediate position, the cooling system does not work properly: when the engine warms up, the temperature rises slowly, and when the vehicle is operated in difficult conditions, the engine boils.
- If the valve is constantly open and the coolant constantly circulates in a large circle, then the engine runs cold. This translates into increased fuel consumption.
Primary diagnostics of the thermostat on the VAZ 2110 is carried out without removing it. The check is done with the engine just started. Lift the hood and touch the upper pipe leading to the radiator. It should be cold and stay that way until the 60-70 degree mark on the instrument panel. After the needle has exceeded 70 degrees, the pipe begins to warm up. If everything happens as described, then the thermostat is normal. In other cases, replacement is necessary.
More accurate and complete testing of the temperature-sensitive element is done using special equipment at a service station. If you have doubts about the correctness of self-diagnosis of the work, use the services of a service station.
It is not difficult to replace the temperature-sensitive element on the 2110 with your own hands, following the step-by-step instructions. To perform repairs, you need to prepare the following tools and materials:
- new thermostat. Check which one is installed on the car (collapsible or solid body);
- silicone sealant;
- new pipes if the old ones are worn out or microcracks appear on them;
- new metal clamps;
- paronite gasket for a new type body;
- container for draining antifreeze;
- open-end wrench 13;
- Phillips and straight screwdrivers;
- antifreeze;
- rags.
Toolkit in the photo
Rags Wrench for 13 Screwdrivers Sealant Clamps Cooling system pipes
Important! Replace the temperature-sensitive element on a completely cooled engine. Antifreeze heats up to 120 degrees and can cause burns.
Step-by-step instruction
- Place a container under the drain hole on the radiator. Open the tap and drain the antifreeze. There is no need for a complete drain; it is enough to reduce the level to the height of the temperature-sensitive element.
- Move the coolant container under the engine in the area where the thermostat is located.
- Remove the thermostat housing. If the car has an old-style heat-sensitive element, then to remove it, just loosen the clamps and disconnect the pipes. On the VAZ 2110 since 2003, the thermostat is attached to the engine with two nuts. To dismantle use a 13 key.
Possible faults
The thermostat is a fairly simple and reliable part, but it has its own service life. The main malfunctions of the thermostat on the VAZ-2112 include:
- Valve jamming in seat. Occurs due to exposure to scale or contamination. This problem often occurs in cars whose engines have not been started for a long time.
- Incomplete valve closure. Occurs due to loss of elasticity of the return spring or dirt getting under the valve seat.
A faulty unit causes the following malfunctions:
- The engine overheats at idle speed. The reason for the valve being stuck in the seat. Even when driving at high speed, the fluid does not cool.
- The engine takes a very long time to heat up. The reason is the lack of contact between the valve and the seat. Some of the antifreeze gets into the engine.
Any of these faults requires a timely check of the part for serviceability.
Replacing the thermostat on a VAZ 2110, how to check and which one is better to install
On a VAZ 2110 car, the thermostat is an integral element, which, despite its small dimensions, performs a huge function.
Photo of the thermostat for VAZ 2110
The thermostat protects the engine from overheating. You all understand what sad consequences overheating of the power unit can lead to, and what financial losses the car owner will suffer.
Thermostat design and operating principle
It is advisable to consider some elements of the device (see photo). True, the most important ones are located inside; you can see them only with a detailed examination after disassembly. But on older cars, the VAZ thermostat is a non-separable unit, so if it fails, it needs to be completely replaced. This applies to all cars produced before 2003. They used an old, proven design that began to be used on the first VAZ-2108 cars.
The thermostat is connected to all units using pipes and clamps. The cooling system has two circuits: large and small. The liquid circulates in a small circle if its temperature is low (up to 87 °C). After reaching the specified value, the switch to the large circle occurs using a thermostat.
Simply put, the radiator is disconnected from the system while circulating in a small circle so that the liquid heats up faster and the engine temperature reaches the operating value. When the heating is too strong, the radiator comes into operation and the temperature drops. If the liquid begins to boil, additional cooling will be required. For this purpose, an electric fan is provided on the radiator.
The operation of the thermostat is based on the properties of the bimetallic plate. It is capable of changing its shape under the influence of temperature.
A valve with a temperature-sensitive element is installed inside the housing. When the operating temperature is reached (about 87 ° C), the valve begins to move slowly, opening the coolant supply. When the liquid warms up to 102 °C, the thermal valve opens completely. As a result, the liquid begins to circulate in a large circle.
Signs of a malfunction of the VAZ 2112 thermostat
If the thermostat does not release liquid to a large circle, the car will begin to heat up very much - do not allow it to overheat under any circumstances and replace the thermostat as soon as possible, because if your car’s engine operates at elevated temperatures, the gasket will gradually burn out cylinder head.
There are 5 main signs of a thermostat malfunction :
- The car engine takes a long time to reach operating temperature.
- The engine overheats quickly.
- The engine temperature gauge drops at lower speeds than usual and rises after stopping.
- After several minutes of operation, when the lower pipe is warm, this already indicates a prematurely opened thermostat.
- If the lower hose is cold while the engine temperature is close to boiling, this indicates a stuck thermostat.
Reasons why a thermostat may fail
The thermostat is responsible for maintaining the optimal temperature of the car engine.
An experienced driver can determine a malfunction of the VAZ-2110 thermostat for indirect reasons. They can be divided into the following points:
- Thermostat takes too long to heat up . This can happen due to unstable operation of the engine, which produces strong vibration. This can damage the valve of the device, causing antifreeze to get inside the thermostat. As a result, the device will work more slowly.
- The valve may also open earlier than expected . As a rule, this is the result of antifreeze getting into the element responsible for coolant temperature.
- The thermostat may open with a delay . Most often, this occurs due to leakage of the filler, which is responsible for the valve opening temperature.
- The thermostat works correctly, but the engine constantly overheats . This may occur due to the coolant moving only in a small circle. The engine may also overheat due to cracks in the pipes or radiator.
- Mechanical damage to the thermostat valve can also prevent it from working correctly.
- Manufacturing defects . Unfortunately, domestically produced spare parts are often produced with factory defects, which can lead to a whole series of unnecessary work, since after changing the thermostat, the car owner will look for the cause of the breakdown anywhere, but not in it.
- Destruction of the rubber seal . If oil gets into the coolant, it can quickly render all rubber parts and pipes that were in contact with the oil unusable.
Oil causes seals to break down.
How to solve problems on the VAZ-2110?
Most thermostat problems can be resolved on your own. As a rule, VAZ-2110 owners do exactly this.
It happens that, despite the normal operation of the thermostat, the temperature of the coolant in the engine is constantly above normal. If you are sure that the thermostat is working properly and the cooling radiator is new, clean and undamaged, then you should replace the device with another one.
The new thermostat should open at a higher coolant temperature.
If the device opens late, then you need to check the entire system for the presence of coolant in it. It happens that the tank is full, and air pockets in the system interfere with the full circulation of antifreeze.
Video on how to repair a VAZ-2110 thermostat
Thermostat valve malfunction
The thermostat may open early due to high pressure in the cooling system. Excessive pressure is very dangerous, it can lead to rupture of pipes or the radiator at best, and seizure of the engine at worst .
The thermostat valve may open early in the following cases:
- Increased engine speed.
- Failure of the thermostat spring.
The spring may cause the valve to operate early.
This last point is extremely broad. The reason may be either an insufficient amount of antifreeze in the system or a failure of the radiator, pipes, and so on.
How to check the health of the thermostat
To check the serviceability of the VAZ-2112 16-valve thermostat, do the following:
- start the car and warm it up to the desired temperature;
- open the car hood and inspect the appearance of the pipe;
- If the thermostat is working properly, the pipe will be warm to the touch.
Otherwise, that is, if the temperature of the pipe is not warm, the thermostat will need to be replaced immediately.
Under normal home conditions, you can check the part for serviceability in another way. To do this, prepare a container with liquid in which to place the thermostat. The vessel is heated on a gas burner, they look at the temperature indicators and control at what moment the part begins to open.
Methods for checking the VAZ 2112 thermostat
There are several ways to check, namely: without removing the thermostat and with dismantling.
To check the thermostat without removing it , you need to warm up the engine to operating temperature. Then find the lower pipe that comes from the thermostat and feel it - at the very beginning it should be slightly warm, and then gradually warm up. If the lower pipe does not heat up at all, but constantly remains cold, and the engine heats up very quickly and strongly, then this indicates that the thermostat has become unusable and it is time to replace it with a new one.
Checking the removed thermostat (both old and new) is done as follows:
- lower the thermostat into water heated to a temperature of about 80 degrees;
- raise the water temperature another 10 degrees;
- observe the “behavior” of the new device: if you notice that the rod begins to extend from the silicone element, this means that the thermostat is operational.
Types of thermostats for the “ten”
Initially, a thermostat with 4 holes was installed on carburetor engines. That's what they call it - four-hole. All these holes have a diameter equal to the internal diameter of the pipe. As a result of this similarity, the pipes fit tightly. But the need to tighten the clamps still does not disappear.
A pipe goes from the thermostat to the engine block. Hot liquid is supplied through it, which only cools the cylinder jacket. The second is on the radiator, to its lower part. The third is for the stove and pump. The last, thinnest one is for the expansion tank.
But on VAZ 2110 injector cars you can often find a more advanced version: a six-hole thermostat. They first started using it on dozens and are still installing it, but on newer Kalinas and Prioras. The principle of its operation is the same. There is only one peculiarity: from the stove, liquid flows through a cold circle into a separate hole.
From here, from the hot circuit, the fluid is taken, which heats the throttle valve. The internal structure is similar to the first type of thermostat; at the base there is a valve with a temperature-sensitive element. The main feature is that the unit is collapsible. If it fails, only the temperature-sensitive element can be replaced.
