Saturn 12681132 Housing Assembly, Engine Coolant Thermostat

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If the lower radiator hose is hot, it means that the coolant is flowing and the thermostat is open.

Before assuming the thermostat is to blame for a cooling system problem, it is important to check the coolant level, drivebelt tension, and temperature gauge operation. If the engine seems to be taking a long time to warm up, based on heater output or temperature gauge operation, it is likely that the thermostat is stuck open and should be replaced with a new one. On the other hand, if the engine runs hot and the lower radiator hose is not hot, it indicates that the thermostat is stuck closed, preventing the coolant from escaping to the radiator. In this case, the thermostat should also be replaced. However, if the lower radiator hose is hot, it means that the coolant is flowing and the thermostat is open. The replacement process varies depending on the engine type. For a 3.4L V6 engine, the top engine cover needs to be removed, followed by the battery and battery tray. The exhaust crossover pipe should be removed from in front of the thermostat housing, and then the thermostat housing bolts can be unscrewed to detach it. The thermostat and seal should be removed, and any old sealant should be cleaned from the housing bolts. For a 3.0L and 3.6L V6 engine, the heater inlet and outlet pipes should be removed, followed by the unscrewing of the thermostat housing bolts and detachment of the housing. The housing and engine mating surfaces should be cleaned. For a 2.4L engine, the radiator outlet hose and coolant expansion tank outlet hose should be disconnected from the thermostat housing. The bolts can then be unscrewed to lift off the thermostat housing cover and remove the thermostat. In all cases, a new thermostat and seal should be installed, and the housing should be properly tightened. The cooling system should be refilled, and the engine should be started and checked for leaks and proper thermostat operation.

Before assuming the thermostat is to blame for a cooling system problem, check the coolant level, drivebelt tension, and temperature gauge operation. If the engine seems to be taking a long time to warm up, the thermostat is probably stuck open and should be replaced. If the engine runs hot and the lower radiator hose isn't hot, the thermostat is probably stuck closed and should be replaced. If the lower radiator hose is hot, it means that the coolant is flowing and the thermostat is open. For four-cylinder models, disconnect the battery cable, drain the cooling system, loosen the hose clamps and detach the hoses from the thermostat housing cover, remove the thermostat cover, remove the old thermostat, install a new rubber gasket and thermostat, and reattach the radiator hose and refill the cooling system. For 3.5L and 3.9L V6 models, loosen the hose clamp and detach the hose from the thermostat housing cover fitting, remove the thermostat housing cover, remove the old thermostat and seal, install a new rubber seal and thermostat, and reinstall the housing cover. For 3.6L V6 models, the thermostat and its housing are replaced as an assembly.

t-stat is only serviced with the 12681132 per vin#