2001 Chevy Venture Thermostat Replaced


Replacing The Thermostat - December 10, 2009
Mileage - 93215 Miles

After putting up with an engine that took forever to warm up, I finally had the thermostat replaced. I have had several P0128 error codes in the past, mostly in colder parts of the year, and my temperature gauge would mostly stay around the 1/4 mark on the scale (about 184 degrees - see picture below), but would drop down to a lower position when going downhill.  This even happened in the summer time!

Engine Temperature Gauge Including Degrees F

I already had purchased the thermostat itself a while ago, but had not gotten around to changing it.  I had this work done at a shop because these vans have very tight working space under the hood, and the thermostat is a real pain to change because of its location.

The good news is, after having the thermostat changed, the van warms up very quickly, and the temperature gauge seems to "stick" right at the 198 degree mark.  That is good because the rating for this thermostat is 195 degrees.  So it appears to be doing its job properly.  I will monitor this, along with my gas mileage, and see if it has any effects on that (I have been wondering about what effect this has on the fuel mixture).
 

Parts Description / Number

Qty

 Price

Total

Replacement Thermostat

1

 $12.00

$12.00

Coolant (1 Gallon)

 

  

 $20.00

Total Parts

 

 

$32.00

Labor Description

 

 

Total

Replace Thermostat

 

 

 $160.00

Hazardous Material Disposal

 

  

 $2.00

Total Labor

 

 

$162.00

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