You can take your Oldsmobile to a dealer or a repair facility to have a broken thermostat repaired and pay an hour's fee for a ten-minute job, or you can get your hands dirty and do it yourself. Changing the thermostat on an Oldsmobile can be a good starting point for learning how to complete basic repairs on a vehicle. Thermostats are easy to reach and do not cost much to repair.
Instructions
- 1
Remove the bolts that hold the thermostat cover to the Oldsmobile intake manifold. Locate the thermostat cover by locating the hose connected to the top of the radiator. Trace the radiator hose from the radiator to the point where it connects to the engine. The part that it connects to is the thermostat cover.
2Lift the thermostat cover off the manifold and set it aside. Lift the thermostat out of its hole; it is not bolted into place. The old thermostat can be discarded.
3Place a paper towel into the hole where the thermostat was sitting. This will prevent old gasket material from getting inside the engine while you scrape the old gasket off. Scrape the old gasket away with a small scraper or flathead screwdriver. Remove any old material from the manifold with a brush. Discard the paper towel.
4Place the new thermostat into the hole in the Oldsmobile manifold. Place a small bead of PVC gasket maker on the base of the intake manifold. Allow the PVC to firm up for ten minutes. Replace the cover onto the manifold and bolt it back into place.
5Remove the filler cap from the radiator and replace any fluid that may have drained out during the repair process. Once filled, replace the radiator filler cap.
