Post by Engr. Olayiwola Adeleke (@Elizcrown)

Even in Nigeria’s hot climate, you generally should not remove the thermostat or wire the radiator fan to run directly with ignition. The cooling system is designed to control engine temperature, not simply keep the engine as cold as possible.
1. The thermostat is important
The thermostat keeps coolant from circulating through the radiator until the engine reaches its designed operating temperature.
Removing it can cause:
❌ Engine to run too cold
❌ Higher fuel consumption
❌ Poor fuel economy and emissions
❌ Longer warm-up time
❌ ECU remaining in a richer warm-up strategy
❌ Poor heater/temperature control
❌ Increased engine wear in some conditions
A thermostat does not make the engine overheat when it is functioning correctly. If an engine overheats, the proper approach is to find the cause—radiator restriction, water pump, coolant level, air lock, bad radiator cap, head-gasket problem, fan control, etc.

2. The radiator fan should not normally run continuously
The ECU/PCM controls the fan based on coolant temperature and, on many vehicles, A/C operation and other conditions.
If you connect the fan directly to ignition:
The fan runs even when the engine is cold.
It puts unnecessary electrical load on the alternator.
It can shorten fan-motor life.
It can mask an underlying cooling-system fault.
The engine may take longer to reach operating temperature.
On some vehicles it can contribute to higher fuel consumption.

3. Nigeria's climate doesn't change the principle
Nigeria is hot, but the engine still needs to operate within its designed temperature range. A properly functioning cooling system should be capable of maintaining that temperature even in hot weather.
For example, if your vehicle's thermostat is designed to open around a particular temperature, it should remain installed and allow the ECU-controlled cooling system to do its job.
The correct solution for an overheating Nigerian vehicle is to repair the cooling system—not permanently over-cool the engine.

Even in Nigeria’s hot climate, you generally should not remove the thermostat or wire the radiator f...

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