Thermostat "Opel Astra N": description, features, replacement and device

The cooling system of the internal combustion engine needs periodic maintenance. Often, it all comes down to replacing the antifreeze every 1-2 years of operation. Unfortunately, this is an incorrect approach, because the given system is rather complicated and has a large number of details, each of which performs its role while the engine is running. Let's look at the "Opel Astra N" thermostat, its features and device.

The device and the principle of operation

The thermostat consists of a spring, a cylinder and a special pin. The essence of the work is that in the closed cylinder there is a wax in the form of a ball. Under the influence of temperature, it begins to melt and expand. Pressure is pushed out by the pin, which, in turn, opens and closes the valve.

It turns out that initially a large circle is closed and the OC circulates only over a small circle. When a certain temperature (working) is reached, the valve opens and the coolant circulates through a large circle - through the radiators. Work on a small circle provides a faster warm-up of the motor, and much more - effective cooling during driving. For this, the radiator, as well as the electric fans, is provided. The radiator in modern cars is cooled either by a stream of air or is blown by fans.

How to understand that the thermostat "Opel Astra N" is defective

This node fails very rarely, but still it happens. If you do not notice the breakdown in time, you can overheat the motor or wait for hours to warm up to the operating temperature. All this is due to the jamming of the thermostat valve.

It can stop both in the closed position and in the open position. If the thermostat jammed with a closed valve, then when a certain temperature is reached, circulation to a large circle does not occur and the cooling efficiency of the motor decreases. As a result - overheating. If the valve is open, the car will be warmed up for a long time and fuel consumption will increase. In any scenario, one must understand that jokes with ICE cooling are bad and the sooner the measures are taken, the better.

Removal of the thermostat on "Opel"

The process of dismantling this node on an Opel car is somewhat different from the others. The first thing you need to understand is where the thermostat is located. It is located to the right of the engine, between the battery and the engine, closer to the last. To carry out the work on the replacement of the thermostat, it is necessary to remove the battery and preferably the site of its attachment. It is very easy to do this, we remove the terminals and turn off the three bolts.

The next step is to remove the terminal from the thermostat housing and remove the branch pipe. A certain amount of antifreeze will pour out, so prepare the container in advance. After that, unscrew 4 torx-screws (asterisk) and take out the thermostat. At the same time, you can make a visual inspection. If the rubber seals of the valve are out of order, then under replacement. The same applies to the case of jamming. In principle, the replacement of the thermostat with "Opel Astra H" is performed in the same way as on any other car brand, except that in our case it is necessary to remove the battery for more comfortable operation. Now we go further.

Thermostat "Opel Astra N" Z18XER: consumer reviews

One of the highlights is the purchase of a new thermostat. Today there are a lot of them. The best of them are the original ones. True, such products have a high cost, but the quality almost always corresponds. There are Chinese analogues, they are characterized by low cost and poor quality. To place such thermostats is highly discouraged, which is due to their unpredictability.

The most optimal option is a qualitative analog. It can be a suitable thermostat from another car or from a well-known brand at an affordable price. Reviews of consumers are mostly reduced to buying the original. Its price is about 800-1000 rubles, but the quality is very high.

Related work

As noted at the very beginning of this article, the cooling system must be regularly serviced. If you decide to change the thermostat, then it's time to fill the new antifreeze and put the filler cap. The latter also has a valve that operates when a certain pressure is reached in the system. If it does not hold, the antifreeze will not boil at 120-125 degrees, and already at 105. If it jams in the closed position, it can break the radiator due to excess pressure.

In any case, it is better to install a new lid and replace the antifreeze, especially if it has not been done for a long time. As for the cooling liquid, then it is also important to pay attention to its quality. It is desirable, of course, to fill in what is recommended by the manufacturer or certified analogues. Low-quality coolant can lead to such unpleasant consequences as the constant activation of cooling fans, boiling, etc.

Checking the operation of the thermostat

Often, a node is not required to be replaced, and a malfunction may be caused by another reason. In this case, it is recommended to check the thermostat. It is quite easy to do this. On the warmed-up engine it is necessary to try the upper and lower branch pipes going to the radiator. Both must be hot. If the bottom is cold, this indicates that the valve has jammed in the closed position. Consequently, the coolant does not circulate in a large circle.

You can also try to lower the radiator, if it's cold, and the bottom pipe is hot, then probably it hammered. In this case it is necessary to clean the system several times before replacing the antifreeze and clean the radiator from the outside, as it is clogged with road dirt. If the thermostat "Opel Astra N" 1.6 is still non-working, then it needs to be replaced as soon as possible.

What conclusions can be drawn?

As you can see, it's not difficult to replace the thermostat "Opel Astra N" Z16XER by yourself. You can do this with a minimum amount of tools. All the work will take from an hour to two. But you can get experience and a couple thousand savings. Try to keep the system tight. If there is a leak in the radiator, then it must be eliminated. You can do this either by soldering, or by replacing it with a new one. You can also use a special powder, which is poured into the hot filler neck of the cooling system while the engine is running. The powder can tighten a small leak and thereby solve the problem for a while.

As you can see, there is nothing difficult in itself to change the thermostat "Opel Astra N". Its price is about one thousand rubles (original), a qualitative analogue will cost 600-700 rubles, and frank China will be 300-400 rubles. Not such a large sum to save, especially since the part is quite responsible and should work like a clock. It is extremely important to buy a suitable thermostat, since there are "late" and "early" ones. The difference is that some open with a little delay, while others, on the contrary, earlier. It is better to use the VIN number of the car and buy exactly what was left from the factory.