Thermostat and preheater had to be replaced on my car yesterday, how do I keep them lasting for longer than they did?
I got my car when it had 51k miles in 2019, it now has 66k miles on it. I don't think it had the thermostat and preheater (for the coolant) replaced on it before I owned it. It doesn't seem like they should have been replaced so soon, but they were. It is a 2012 Chevy Cruze. The issue was that the thermostat was stuck open and the check engine light came on. I generally don't like turning the heat or A/C on, but could this be what caused it, or the fact that Chevy designed the OEM thermostat/preheater assembly like garbage so both had to be replaced?
Both.
turning the heat or A/C on, but could this be what caused it,
No. You are meant to use heat and AC.
or the fact that Chevy designed the OEM thermostat/preheater assembly
GM probably didn't design it. Things like preheaters would be outsourced, and clearly they hired it out to the lowest bidder.
Ugh I hate using the heat and ac though. Both give me headaches. No its not CO poisoning, I get the same way in every car and in the house. It sucks that we have to use the heat and ac our the thermostat gets stuck open or closed...
Cruze, Focus, Fiesta, etc. are disposable cars they're cheaply made and not meant to last very long.
