Where is the thermostat housed on a 1996 Nissan Sentra? I followed the top radiator hose to the engine but it didnt lead me to a housing casing for the thermostat.

Follow the top rad hose back to the engine and you found the housing, it will be inside that.

Where the top radiator hose connects to the engine is where the thermostat housing is. Remove the top radiator hose and remove the two bolts that attach the cover of the thermostat housing. What you see now is the top of the thermostat. grab hold of it and remove it. The paper gasket may hinder the easy removal of the thermostat. Just tug a little harder and it will come free. scrape off any remaining gasket material from the housing and the cover. Put the new thermostat in and the gasket on top of it. Use a liquid sealant on the cover side of the gasket...not both sides. Position the cover back on the housing and tighten both bolts. Push the radiator hose back on and tighten the clamp. Add lost coolant and start the engine. Let it run long enough to open the new thermostat. Recheck the coolant level and top off as needed.

Hi, the thermostat is located in the housing just above the water pump. Follow the top hose on the radiator. There is a metal tubing in the middle of that top hose that leads to the thermostat housing. The housing has 3 screws that attaches it to the engine.

if you follow your top radiator hose it should lead to your thermostat houseing .the thermostat is located under that

1.6L (GA16DE) and 2.0L (SR20DE) Engines
The thermostat is housed in the water outlet casting on the cylinder head on most models. On the GA16DE engines, the thermostat is housed in the water outlet casting attached to the water pump.



Fig. : Thermostat and housing-SR20DE engine





Fig. : Thermostat and housing-GA16DE engine




Fig. : Always make certain the jiggle valve is on the top side-GA16DE engine shown

Hope this helps (remember rated this).

It should be located where the lower radiator hose connects to the engine, and there you should find the thermostat housing. Be sure when installing the new thermostat that the spring side of the thermostat is installed towards the engine.

After you change the thermostat you might have to remove the upper radiator hose from the radiator to pour coolant back into the block, or the engine might not have any coolant getting into it until after the thermostat has opened up, and by then it would be too late and the engine will over-heat. Also, be sure to bleed the trapped air from the cooling system by using any bleeders in the cooling system.

Follow the top radiator hose to where it connects to the engine block. There will be a housing with two or three bolts holding it down. Remove the radiator hose from the housing, remove the bolts and lift the housing off. The thermostat will be sitting under the housing.

Follow the top hose from the radiator back to the engine block to see the thermostat housing. Open it up to replace the thermostat inside. Make sure to drain the radiator first before remove the hoses. Put in the new Coolant.

mendez1421: follow the upper radiator hose to the engine and it will lead you to the thermostat housing. The thermostat housing has three bolts which retain it in place. Usually they have 10mm heads. When installing the thermostat, make sure you have installed it in the correct direction. The part which has the "Hoop" faces the radiator. Most thermostats have a top and bottom. It will either say top or it will have a small hole with a little metal tab which projects through the hole and fits loosely. The thermostat has a recessed ares in which it fits. Make sure it is in place otherwise you will crack the housing. The the gasket is a silicon which comes in a tube. Use a "SMALL" bead, not a big glob!
Allow it to lightly skin and then put the two together. The torque specs are 4-6 ft lbs on the bolts. This cooling system has several places with bleeder screws to purge the air out of the system.
It is very important to do this otherwise the engine will overheat!
A bleeder is located to the right of the thermostat housing and looks like a bolt screwed into the head usually it will have a label.
When you fill the radiator, remove this plug and when the coolant starts to run out, put the plug back in. There is another one located near the EGR valve and another where the a series of hoses come together near the back of the motor. Remember to have the heater in the open position to allow coolant to flow through the core as well. Get the engine to operating temp and recheck the level in the radiator and recovery tank.
I hope this has covered more than your question as to it's location.
This way you can judge whether it is a job you can undertake by your self..

Follow the bottom hose around the back of the engine and over to the passenger side. This hose ends up almost directly behind the front/top hose (where the thermostat should be...but that would be too easy). Unbolt 3 bolts holding the housing on, pop off the housing, and the thermostat should just pop right out.