Thermostat replacement please

Tiny
MRSSALAS08
  • MEMBER
  • 1999 CHEVROLET MALIBU
  • 4 CYL
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 164,000 MILES
I have a 1999 Chevy Malibu 2.4 V4, it was over heating, the type of engine that the car is supposed to have calls for a thermostat that is too small for the actual engine that is in the car now. Can you tell me which engines fit this type of car and can you send me a diagram of where the thermostat goes please
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Wednesday, August 17th, 2011 AT 11:35 PM

23 Replies

Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 108,014 POSTS
The 2.4 is a common engine. It sounds like the parts store is giving you the wrong part. Auto Zone part number for the t-stat is 4028. I have attached a picture of both engines its location and a guide to help you get the job done. There is only one thermostat for this engine.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/replace-thermostat

Use 2CarPros anytime, we are here to help. Please tell a friend.

Cheers
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Saturday, September 3rd, 2011 AT 4:58 AM
Tiny
LANCE CHIDDICK
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
  • 1999 CHEVROLET MALIBU
  • 2.4L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 145,680 MILES
I just wanted to know how many thermostats are in my car, because I bought a thermostat when the heat went out. Now I had to put a water pump in car found out that that I needed another one, thermostat.
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Thursday, October 29th, 2020 AT 9:57 AM (Merged)
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
Good afternoon.

There is only one thermostat. I attached a picture for you to view.

Why or who told you there were two?

Roy
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Thursday, October 29th, 2020 AT 9:57 AM (Merged)
Tiny
LANCE CHIDDICK
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
The mechanic putting the water pump on.
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Thursday, October 29th, 2020 AT 9:57 AM (Merged)
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
My information system says nothing about another thermostat at all. All the 2.4 I have done only had one.

Roy
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Thursday, October 29th, 2020 AT 9:58 AM (Merged)
Tiny
LANCE CHIDDICK
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
Thanks for the heads up.
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Thursday, October 29th, 2020 AT 9:58 AM (Merged)
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
You are welcome. Let me know the outcome.

Roy
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Thursday, October 29th, 2020 AT 9:58 AM (Merged)
Tiny
DARKPYRO222
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1999 CHEVROLET MALIBU
Engine Cooling problem
1999 Chevy Malibu 4 cyl Two Wheel Drive 166000 miles

i have been tryin to change the thermostat in my chevy malibu 199 but the gasket housing where it should be says thermostat located at water pump. But everywhere I go noone seems to kno where the thermostat is located and my radiator light is on where can I go to to get to the thermostat housing.
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Thursday, October 29th, 2020 AT 9:58 AM (Merged)
Tiny
BLUELIGHTNIN6
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,542 POSTS


https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/261618_Noname_2545.jpg



FIG. 27


https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/261618_Graphic_629.jpg



FIG. 28


https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/261618_Graphic2_87.jpg



FIG. 29


https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/261618_Graphic3_16.jpg



FIG. 30


https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/261618_Graphic4_5.jpg

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Thursday, October 29th, 2020 AT 9:58 AM (Merged)
Tiny
JERRY R.
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1999 CHEVROLET MALIBU
  • 6 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 148,000 MILES
Where is the thermostat located on this car, and can you send info on installation.
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Thursday, October 29th, 2020 AT 9:58 AM (Merged)
Tiny
BMRFIXIT
  • MECHANIC
  • 19,053 POSTS
Its located at the intake manifold rear of engine locate upper radiator hose follow it to engine
u may have to remove exhaust cross pipe to reach one bolt..


https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/99387_mali_1.jpg

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Thursday, October 29th, 2020 AT 9:58 AM (Merged)
Tiny
BULL69
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1999 CHEVROLET MALIBU
Engine problem
1999 Chevy Malibu 6 cyl 87538 miles

How do change out the thermostat?
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Thursday, October 29th, 2020 AT 9:58 AM (Merged)
Tiny
PONS
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
I've had to do this a couple times on my 6 cyl '99 Malibu.

1) Disconnect your negative battery cable and push it off to the side so that it doesn't spring back and accidentally touch the battery terminal.

2) Take the cap off the coolant tank against the passenger side wall and drain the radiator. The radiator petcock is on the bottom front of the driver's side. You should be able to get to it from the front of the car. It's a white plastic plug. Use a 1/4" square drive to turn it. It should pop out toward you as you turn it, but it shouldn't come all the way out of the radiator.

3) The thermostat sits on the driver's side of the engine underneath the air intake, so remove the air cleaner assembly and move the throttle cables out of the way. Go ahead and disconnect the sensors on the assembly and move them out of the way as well.

4) The thermostat housing is connected to the big black upper hose that goes from the radiator to the engine. It should also have a short pipe that takes coolant back to the heater core. Those hoses will need to be disconnected as well if you want to put the thermostat housing on your bench to clean it. (I can't remember if there's anything else in the way. I've only removed it when I replaced the intake manifold gasket and later when I replaced the heads, so everything was out of the way when I got to putting a new thermostat in.)

5) Make sure you use a new gasket. The thermostat should have a small rubber ring in the box or perhaps it might already be on the thermostat itself. Look at your old thermostat to see how it fits.

5a) EDIT: Make sure to clean all the parts where metal meets metal. This includes the inside mating surfaces of the thermostat housing and the part of the engine block where the housing mates to it.

6) When you get it back together, you'll need a gallon to a gallon and a half of 50/50 antifreeze. The coolant that comes with these cars is the orange DexCool, so that's what I stick with.

7) When the engine gets back up to operating temperature, gently loosen the bleed screw to let the air out of the system. You should hear hissing and then see coolant bubbling out of the bleed screw hole when the air is out of the system. Put the bleed screw back in.

(There is a black pipe, about 1/2" in diameter, that runs from left to right just above the spark plugs on the front of the engine. At the far left of this pipe is a small screw sticking straight up. It needs a small socket, maybe 7 or 8 mm. Be very careful! It's not a big screw, and you don't want to snap it off! Very little torque is needed to tighten it.)

When I went to the auto parts store to get a new thermostat, they had two of them rated at different temperatures. I'm not sure why there would be two of them, but I opted for the lower temperature one, I think it was 180. The other was 195, I believe. According to my temp guage, the engine usually runs around 180, so I thought that was the right choice.
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Thursday, October 29th, 2020 AT 9:58 AM (Merged)
Tiny
GELANIA CALDWELL
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 116,236 MILES
Where is the Thermostat Located on 1998 Cheverolet Malibu with a 2.4 Twin Cam motor?
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Thursday, October 29th, 2020 AT 9:58 AM (Merged)
Tiny
RASMATAZ
  • MECHANIC
  • 75,992 POSTS


https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/12900_stat_7.jpg



Disconnect the negative battery cable.
Drain and recover the coolant. Refer to Draining and Filling Cooling System.
Remove the exhaust manifold heat shield,
Remove the coolant inlet housing bolt through the exhaust manifold.
Raise the vehicle.
Remove the coolant inlet housing stud from the oil pan.
Remove the second coolant inlet housing bolt.
Remove the coolant inlet housing.
Remove the thermostat.
Clean the mating surfaces.
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Thursday, October 29th, 2020 AT 9:58 AM (Merged)
Tiny
KJM119
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU
  • 6 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 20,000 MILES
Need to replace thermostat on 98 Malibu 3.1 Chevy
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Thursday, October 29th, 2020 AT 9:58 AM (Merged)
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 42,554 POSTS
Here is a guide to help you see what you are in for when doing the job.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/replace-thermostat

Here is a guide of what it will be like for your car (below)

Please let us know if you need anything else to get the problem fixed.

Cheers, Ken
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Thursday, October 29th, 2020 AT 9:58 AM (Merged)
Tiny
DSYLVESTER1
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU
  • 6 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 85,000 MILES
Where is the thermostat and How do I replace it?
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Thursday, October 29th, 2020 AT 9:59 AM (Merged)
Tiny
BRIAN 1
  • MECHANIC
  • 1,030 POSTS
Disconnect the negative battery cable.
Drain and recover the coolant. Refer to Draining and Filling Cooling System.
Remove the air cleaner assembly.
Remove the surge tank line from the coolant outlet.
Remove the coolant outlet to the inlet manifold attaching bolts.
Remove the coolant outlet.
Remove the thermostat.
Clean the inlet manifold mating surfaces.
Clean the coolant outlet mating surfaces.
INSTALLATION PROCEDURE

Install the thermostat in the inlet manifold.
Install the coolant outlet to the inlet manifold.
Install the attaching bolts.
Tighten the bolts to 25 Nm (18 ft. lbs.) .
Install the air cleaner assembly.
Install the surge tank line to the coolant outlet.
Fill the engine coolant. Refer to Draining and Filling Cooling System.
Connect the negative battery cable.
Tighten the bolt to 16 Nm (12 ft. lbs.) .
Inspect the system for leaks.


https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/147643_tstat_1.gif

I assume you have a 3.1L?
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Thursday, October 29th, 2020 AT 9:59 AM (Merged)
Tiny
JCARLISLE536
  • MEMBER
  • 8 POSTS
  • 1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU
  • 300,000 MILES
Where is the thermostat located on a 2.4 eng
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Thursday, October 29th, 2020 AT 9:59 AM (Merged)

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