So I've got a 1997 Buick LeSabre. Twice now the intake manifold/gasket was been damaged and repaired.
My last mechanic decided to replace the thermostat with one that runs at a lower temperature to attempt to prevent the problem from happening again. One problem is that I've pretty much lost heat. The engine coolant now seems to stop heating around 165 F.
Aside from not having heat. Am I going to have any other issues? Any other older mechanics ever do this? I can live without the heat but want to make sure I'm good for a while.
My last mechanic decided to replace the thermostat with one that runs at a lower temperature to attempt to prevent the problem from happening again.
The correct thermostat should not cause your intake gasket to fail if a quality gasket was was installed correctly and nothing is warped.
With a colder thermostat your engine will not reach its proper operating temperature. This can lead to loss of fuel economy, increased engine wear, and increased sludge and carbon buildup.
I can live without the heat but want to make sure I'm good for a while.
Not sure how long you want "a while" to be but after nearly 30 years I would not expect a whole lot more life out of that thing.
