Q: Location of thermostat.

asked by on August 03, 2017

On some newer cars, the thermostat is located in the radiator return line. How does that work? The temp in the return line is no indicative of the engine temp.

My car has 105000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

Thermostat Replacement $157.20 - $759.78 Get a Quote

Hello, thank you for writing in. While it is strange to think the thermostat can be located on the lower radiator hose, this is common practice for some manufactures. The concept works exactly the same. The coolant entering the radiator is hot from the engine and needs to be cooled. It is an ideal place to keep an accurate reading on how much coolant needs to flow through the system to regulate that coolant temperature. Regardless if you control the flow going in or coming out, the coolant gets regulated either way.

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