Thermostat - genuine or cheap? TDi

Thanks guys. I really should have disconnected the battery but t was a wee surprise and I now have a little spot weld on my Allen key to remember this by. I think Paul is right though - alternator out is easier.


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So, bought new sockets and a magnetic tray ad pick up tool, but... my old 10mm socket is wedged on top of what I assume is the water pump casing underneath the alternator. I assume it’s staying there for ever!

Any moving parts in that zone?


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Pinkythelabrat said:
My engine dumped out all its coolant today. About a mile from home the temp gauge started to creep up above 90. Turned climate control on full heat and it blew cold... oh dear.
I took the thermostat back off to see what the issue was and... now my car is off the road! The rubber ring appears to have shifted when I was placing it and it had been pinched.
I am NEVER doing any mechanical work again! You are all heroes! I dropped every single item at least once. Fished everything out from the engine undertray. Dug screws out from where they jammed on bits of metal. Accident shorted something on my alternator? And now... final straw... I dropped my only quarter inch 10mm socket and it's wedged on a bit under the alternator. Two hours of trying to rescue it and it's still there so I can't tighten up my thermostat until I get a new one. Gah! Oh, and the inside of the engine bay is made of knives and spikes and blades. Again, anyone doing mechanical work I salute you - I'm sticking to wiring and plumbing from now on!


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Click to expand...

Dude, I thought I was the only mechanical numpty in the Village :p
 
Right. The bottom bolt is as tight as I can get it. My allan key is bending with the pressure - and yet there is a noticeable gap around the pipe end. Is it supposed to have a gap? I shouldn’t think so...

bd61fb6a26ecdb00ae87baa753087c87.jpg


The brown crescent - about 2mm around the side and underneath!

Help!


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Pinkythelabrat said:
Right. The bottom bolt is as tight as I can get it. My allan key is bending with the pressure - and yet there is a noticeable gap around the pipe end. Is it supposed to have a gap? I shouldn’t think so...

bd61fb6a26ecdb00ae87baa753087c87.jpg


The brown crescent - about 2mm around the side and underneath!

Help!


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Click to expand...
Looks like the thermostat isn't seated properly there's a couple of lugs in the black plastic bit that the thermostat sits in and twists into i snapped mine off because it wouldn't seat properly

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Take it off and re-insert the stat. When you put it into the plastic housing, you then need to turn it 90º to seat it properly. All that brown crescent should be gone when it's seated properly.

There's absolutely no point in wasting coolant until you get it seated right - it'll just pour out again. I use a 10mm 5º ratchet spanner with a ground down allen key bit that fits in the centre of the bolt head. It's tight, but very do-able with everything in place.
 
Screen Shot 2017-11-22 at 17.10.32.png

As you can see, there's no need for monster torques, but you have to turn the stat in the housing or it'll move as you're trying to seat it.
 
The plastic retaining lugs are missing/broken in my pipe! I removed the stat and tried to recentre it properly. I thought I had.
I couldn’t get the stat and pipe combo to move down into the space as a single piece so I put the rubber ring in and then the stat in the block and then put the pipe up against it. It seemed as though the stat would Centre on the pipe once pushed so this seemed reasonable and it was the opposite of disassembly - the pipe came away and left the stat in place.
Is there a step by step guide?


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I think I’ve muffed it. The rubber ring goes on the OUTSIDE of the stat - the other side away from the block! Is that right? I’m a tube if so!


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Yes, look at my attachment from the workshop manual - the O ring goes between the black plastic housing and the stat. If the retaining prongs are gone though, you'll need a new housing.
 
Skipton01 said:
Yes, look at my attachment from the workshop manual - the O ring goes between the black plastic housing and the stat. If the retaining prongs are gone though, you'll need a new housing.
Click to expand...
One of my prongs was broken so i snapped the other off there only to assist locating the thermostat mine was fine after.

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justjust73 said:
One of my prongs was broken so i snapped the other off there only to assist locating the thermostat mine was fine after.

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Whilst you can get away with this solution, why risk it for the sake a new part costing less than a tenner.
 
Skipton01 said:
Yes, look at my attachment from the workshop manual - the O ring goes between the black plastic housing and the stat. If the retaining prongs are gone though, you'll need a new housing.
Click to expand...

Thanks Mike. It was actually your picture that made me slap my head. I’d been looking on my phone but when I fired up the pad it was glaringly obvious!
I had given up but I think I’ll give it one more go armed with this new knowledge.
Sciroccorado’s comments are well founded. Thanks Scott and Justjust for the broken fingers reassurance - hopefully that’ll be the only broken fingers tonight.

Ps. It was much nicer doing this yesterday - the heat from the overheated engine kept my hands nice and warm. Freezing icy rain now... ☹️


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Skipton01 said:
Whilst you can get away with this solution, why risk it for the sake a new part costing less than a tenner.
Click to expand...
If the cars off the road it's fine but mine needed to work there and then and it worked so next time I'll plan and buy one before hand.

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Hopefully third time is the charm. I'm not confident - there was a wisp of steam coming from around the thermostat area when I finished my test drive. Will find out tomorrow... RAC on standby.


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Mike (@Skipton01), if you wouldn’t mind, I am interested to know what symptoms on your 13 year old car caused you to change the thermostat.

Andrew
 
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