The Buick LeSabre was introduced in 1959 by General Motors. The 2000 Buick LeSabre was equipped with a 3.8-liter V-6, capable of producing up to 205 horsepower and 235 foot-pounds of torque. The thermostat in the 2000 LeSabre regulates the internal engine temperature by restricting and increasing the flow of coolant throughout the engine. Engine coolant/antifreeze contains ethylene glycol, a substance poisonous to humans and animals.
Instructions
- 1
Open the hood of the LeSabre. Remove the air filter box lid from the air box by pulling the tabs off by hand. Push the lid inward toward the engine and pull up to remove the lid. Follow the air intake hose to where it joins to the engine. Pull the air intake hose free of the engine by hand. Remove the air intake hose and air filter box lid completely.
2Locate the thermostat on the top of the engine, just below the upper intake assembly. Set a drain pan directly beneath the location of the thermostat, under the engine. Place a radiator hose clamp or needle-nose vise grips onto the heater hose leading to the thermostat, closing the hose from the possibility of spilling coolant. Loosen the hose clamp from the thermostat using a 3/8-inch drive ratchet and socket. Remove the radiator hose by hand and aim the open end down into the drain pan beneath the engine.
3Remove the thermostat bolts using a 3/8-inch ratchet and socket. Turn the bolts counterclockwise until they are removed from the thermostat housing completely. Remove the thermostat housing from the top of the engine, and remove the thermostat gasket from the engine mounting surface if necessary. Discard the thermostat housing gasket into the drain pan immediately.
4Remove the old thermostat by simply pulling it straight out of the inner thermostat housing. Place the old thermostat into the drain pan immediately. Visually inspect the mounting surfaces of the engine and the upper thermostat housing. If there are traces of old thermostat gasket material, scrape this material off the engine or thermostat housing using a straight razor blade or box cutter blade. Scrape in an outward motion so that you do not introduce gasket material into the cooling system.
5Install the new thermostat gasket around the new thermostat. Install the new thermostat and gasket assembly onto the engine thermostat housing. Install the upper thermostat housing over the new thermostat and gasket and start the mounting bolts in by hand. Tighten the mounting bolts onto the thermostat housing, using a certified torque wrench to tighten the bolts to 89 inch-pounds of torque (7.5 foot-pounds).
6Replace the thermostat housing hose and tighten the hose clamp until it is snug. Turn the ratchet a quarter-turn farther once it is snug. This tightening procedure is called "snug-and-a-quarter" and is a great way not to damage hoses or clamps when placing them on cooling system parts.
7Open and remove the radiator cap. Fill the radiator completely with coolant. Start the vehicle and let the engine run for no less than 15 minutes. Turn the heater control panel switches to full fan speed, and front defrost. This will speed up the process of heating the engine. This entire process is called bleeding the engine, and will remove any air pocket from the cooling system, which can potentially damage the engine. Turn the engine off after you see no more air bubbles coming from the radiator cap hole. Refill the cooling system if necessary, and tighten the radiator cap completely.
