Out of Character - 0
Member
It serves as a regulator and that's it. It keeps it below a certain point by opening, and it gets it up to a certain temp by remaining closed or closing. It only operates this way if your cooling system is capable of cooling the amount of heat that your engine produces.
Example:
1964 a new Plymouth Valiant was new and ran perfectly at 170F with a 170 thermostat in the summer. In summer 1980 the cooling system is corroded and when you go up hills or drive hard the temperature will climb above the 170F because the radiator is corroded and not efficient. In 2009 the Valiants radiator is so corroded that it overheats if you drive more than 30 minutes, you remove the t-stat to delay the heating and are able to get 45min now. Winter comes along, you still have no thermostat and the car runs so cool that it doesn't even register on the gauge.
You said,
"A thermostat helps maintain a minimum temperature, but the max temp is limited by the cooling system not the thermostat."
It's actually limited by both.
Example:
1964 a new Plymouth Valiant was new and ran perfectly at 170F with a 170 thermostat in the summer. In summer 1980 the cooling system is corroded and when you go up hills or drive hard the temperature will climb above the 170F because the radiator is corroded and not efficient. In 2009 the Valiants radiator is so corroded that it overheats if you drive more than 30 minutes, you remove the t-stat to delay the heating and are able to get 45min now. Winter comes along, you still have no thermostat and the car runs so cool that it doesn't even register on the gauge.
You said,
"A thermostat helps maintain a minimum temperature, but the max temp is limited by the cooling system not the thermostat."
It's actually limited by both.
