
Originally Posted by
niky
A car will not overheat due to a lack of a thermostat, but it needs it to reach operating temperature quickly. Without one, the engine runs colder longer, which makes for poor fuel economy and increased oil wear.
An 86 Stanza should actually have a thermostat. If it's gone, the previous owner probably removed it. Some people remove the thermostat to cure an overheating problem, but this doesn't really cure it. It just masks the problem until it becomes worse.
What's really causing your engine to heat up when you turn on the AC may be a stuck auxiliary fan or weak fans in general. That's where I'd check first, but not being able to see your car and the condition of your coolant (is it a coolant-water mix? Is it full of rust? Is it muddy? etcetera) and your cooling system (radiator hose condition, radiator fins, leaks, etcetera), I can't say that this is the problem with 100% certainty.