Thermostat
A thermostat is a valve between the engine and the radiator and ensures the engine stays at its ideal temperature.
When you start the engine the thermostat will be closed so that the engine warms up faster. When the engine is about to reach its optimal temperature, the thermostat will then allow the coolant to circulate through the radiator (to reduce its temperature) and ensure that the engine doesn't overheat.
It might be an inexpensive part but its role is of major importance.
Excessive cooling
With an open thermostat or without a thermostat (yes, some people run their car without the thermostat, which is very WRONG) you would have excessive cooling all the time and your engine wouldn't work at its optimal temperature. This would lead to less performance, lower fuel economy and higher emissions, and the oil wouldn't be hot enough to work at its best. Your spark plugs would also deteriorate faster and the engine's internals would suffer increased wear.
If you face cold weather difficulties increase. And when you turn on the cockpit heater the coolant temperature needle will probably go all the way down, unable to provide comfortable temperature in the cabin.
This isn't adequate and far from preserving your engine's health and efficiency.
Overheating
The contrary problem is if the thermostat doesn't allow enough cooling. Using a thermostat that does not open fully or doesn't even open means the engine will be working at higher temperature than adequate. That can lead to head gasket problems and having your engine open for repair. But that's not all; eventually, it can overheat and damage your engine beyond repair.
Noticing a faulty thermostat
The coolant temperature gauge will be of great help. Don't think it is very reliable and precise, it's not. But if the thermostat isn't working well in to a significant extent, you can notice it on the gauge.
If it is allowing excessive cooling, you can sometimes notice the needle moving down. That happens when you turn on the cabin heater and when you go for several seconds in gear at a moderate speed without pressing the accelerator. Because the car engine is barely burning any fuel, the heat generated will be much reduced and the thermostat will cause the engine to fall below its optimum temperature. This is very likely to occur in winter months although you can notice it during summer also (remember that air conditioning will add more fuel to the engine and makes it more difficult to spot it).
The opposite situation is when the indicator rises above where it normally stands. You can also notice the radiator fan being used more frequently. In extreme cases the expansion tank might allow some coolant to be expelled; that will look like smoke coming from under the hood. That's because the expansion tank's cap has a valve that will open slightly when submitted to high pressure. Since the coolant system is a closed circuit, the pressure will build up if temperature goes beyond desirable.
But don't get worried if the fan turns on during summer, especially at low speeds when there is little air entering the engine compartment. It's normal and very likely to happen. And if the temperature indicator stays at its normal position, there's probably no need to worry.
It's a good procedure to check your coolant level regularly.
If you change your thermostat and your coolant and things still don't look good, it can be a faulty temperature sensor.
If you want to know how to take care of your thermostat and discover various true-and-tried ways on how to achieve impressive fuel economy, check Fuel Economy Fast.
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