[meford4u]

nass,Dec 21 2005, 12:52 PM Wrote:when the stock unit fails does it stay open or closed?

I get heat but it takes a while to get there and I find it's no where near as hot as it was before. I used to be able to singe the hairs on my arm before :(


what's the time/effort for replacing the unit yourself?
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It usually stays open when they fail. What happens is now the coolant travels throught the block, and instead of being diverted back into the block because operating temp has not been reached, the bad thermostat stays open and now the coolant is running throught the whole system including the heater core which is cold, and cools down the coolant. That's why it takes longer.

I am not sure where the thermostat is on the Focus, as I haven't looked, but this is typically really easy to fix as they are usually situated on the top of the engine block where the rad hose intake is.

It's just really messy and spillage dose occur.

I hate spillage.