Where Is the Thermostat Located on the 1995 Mitsubishi Mirage?

The Mitsubishi Mirage actually has a longer history on U.S. soil than its history might show, as Dodge imported the Mirage, beginning in 1979, but renamed it the Dodge Colt. The 1995 Mirage, the 10-year anniversary of its official release in the U.S., came standard with a 92-horsepower, 1.5-liter engine. The engine used a thermostat that opened between 190 and 212 degrees Fahrenheit to allow coolant into the radiator to lower its temperature, thereby keeping the engine at an acceptable temperature. Locating and replacing the thermostat is a straightforward process on the standard 1995 Mirage.

Instructions

Locating the Thermostat

1

Open the hood and find the upper radiator hose, the thick rubber hose spanning from the top of the radiator to the engine.

2

Trace the radiator hose toward the engine.

3

Find the metal housing at the end of the radiator hose -- this is the thermostat housing. The thermostat is inside this housing.

Replacing the Thermostat

4

Allow the vehicle to sit until the engine is cool to the touch. Unscrew the radiator cap from the top of the radiator. Inspect the rubber seal on the underside of the crack for any defects, including dry cracking, slits, cuts, heavy rust and sediment, or excessive aging. Replace the cap with a new one, if any defects exist.

5

Raise the front of the Mirage with a floor jack and slide jack stands under the vehicles subframe. Lower the Mirage onto the jack stands.

6

Crawl under the front passengers side of the vehicle and find the petcock, the small, plastic thumbscrew-like component on the base of the radiator. Position a drain pan under the petcock and turn it counterclockwise to start draining coolant from the radiator. Once about three inches of coolant drain from the radiator, close the petcock.

7

Raise the Mirage off the jack stands with a floor jack and remove the jack stands. Lower the vehicle to the ground.

8

Squeeze the ears of the hose clamp on the thermostat housing end of the upper radiator hose with slip-joint pliers and slide the clamp about three inches up the hose, toward the radiator. Release the hose clamp.

9

Pull the upper radiator hose from the thermostat housing with a slight twisting motion. Remove the thermostat housing-to-water outlet housing bolts, using a ratchet and socket, and pull the thermostat housing from the water outlet housing, exposing the thermostat. Remove the water outlet housing gasket.

10

Grasp the thermostat and pull it from the water outlet housing.

11

Scrape any remnants of the old gasket from the water outlet housing and thermostat hosing with a plastic gasket scraper and clean both mating surfaces with a clean, lint-free cloth.

12

Install the new rubber O-ring, included with the thermostat, around the perimeter of the new thermostat, if its not preinstalled. Guide the thermostat into the water outlet housing, spring side first, with the jiggle valve the small metal valve on the thermostat aligning with the protrusion on the top of the water outlet housing.

13

Insert the thermostat housing-to-water outlet housing bolts through the bolt holes in the thermostat housing. Set a new water outlet housing gasket onto the bolts. Hand-thread the bolts into the water outlet housing, then torque them to 16 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket.

14

Press the upper radiator hose back onto the thermostat hosing and slide the hose clamp to within an inch of the end of the upper radiator hose, using slip-joint pliers, to secure the hose to the housing.

15

Add 50-50 premixed ethylene-glycol-based (green) coolant to the radiator until the coolant level reaches the base of the radiators filler neck. Tighten the radiator cap onto the radiator.

16

Start the vehicles engine and allow it to idle until the upper radiator hose feels hot. Shut the engine off and allow the vehicle to sit until the engine is cool to the touch. Remove the radiator cap and refill the radiator with 50-50 premixed coolant until it reaches the base of the filler neck, if needed.

17

Take the old coolant to a nearby used automotive fluid recycling center for disposal. Some auto parts stores take old coolant free of charge.