aha409

Hi all,

I have a 1997 Del Sol SI which gives me very poor gas mileage (18-20m MPG).

I think the thermostat is stuck open since the engine is always cold and my heater doesn't blow hot air. It takes very long time for the engine to heat and the temperature gauge doesn't go up most of the time. When it does, it goes down quickly afterwards.

Which thermostat should i get, which brand and is there any specification for temperature that I should consider.

Could this account for the low gas mileage.

I found this on line

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/New-Genuine-O...444bc7&vxp=mtr

The winter where I live is very cold it gets to -20 to -40c

Thanks very much

axis11

First fix your thermostat problem. Although a stuck open thermostat would have very little effect on gas milage, you should have it work properly.

BryanM.

iTrader: (1)

It will run rich until it warms up.

Ryan96GSR

Hondas sometimes struggle a bit in cold conditions like that. Change your thermostat with that OEM honda one, and flush your coolant while you are at it. Stay away from aftermarket ones, They tend to stick open/closed and they don't flow as well.

Also a little tip, when you start driving it in the morning leave the heater off for a couple minutes, I usually let the needle hit the bottom line before I circulate coolant from the heater core.

jbpnoman

Also, let your motor warm up a little before driving. Definitely replace your thermostat with a factory Honda unit, not an "OEM equivalent" off eBay.

wildman10593

I have a 1999 CRV and it has low heat in the winter. First it was poor air flow and I did replace the cabin filter and boy was it pluged. Now winter is hear and it defrost the widow better but it takes it a while. When the CRV sits and idles the heat is better and the gauge moves up a little but when you drive the guage goes back down and the heat is very low. Where to start?

Zychu

You have suspended the thermostat in the open position. Replace it with a new one each, fill coolant, bleed the cooling system and you'll be enjoying a good temperature of the air.

As for the evaporation of windows, if you have air conditioning already worth it to view.

stateofjustin

You should check out my thread on poor gas mileage, just in case... In my case it ended up being the ECM
that was bad, in addition to some tune up parts it needed along the way.

Echoing the best advice here, ALWAYS get the HONDA thermostat and gasket (they come together) and
make sure the bleed through tab it correctly oriented with the mark on the thermostat housing. That hole
allows air to pass through while bleeding before the car comes up to temp, and allows a small amount of
coolant through thereafter. Do not ever remove the thermostat from the car as a fix, it will cause many
more problems and solve none.

As for your climate, I would suggest you buy a specific or generic 'Block Heater'. They plug into a garage
wall outlet, or a waterproofed extension cord, and will heat the block , head and oil, making all of them
much better prepared to allow your car to run properly. I see them as a must for cold climates or you will
see increased engine wear over time.