Thermostat replacement

DJ 190

A2OC Donor
I'd had a consistant low reading on my coolant temperature gauge It was just under 80 deg C. A visit from Tom (Timmus) established that it was a faulty thermostat. I've surprised myself, today! I completed this task (A2 Diesel) in under 30 minutes. Here's how :-



DSCN0006 (Medium).JPG Where the thermostat is located

It's between the alternator and the oil-filter housing. There is a difficult to access 10mm bolt below the housing. You need a shallow socket.



DSCN0011 (Medium).JPG I used this tool (Source: Halfords)



DSCN0012 (Medium).JPG The faulty thermostat (corroded)

A few tips ..... When unscrewing the lower bolt, have a magnetic grab tool adjacent, so that the bolt won't drop! No need to drain the system down. After removing the thermostat housing, pull out the rubber ring seal. Make sure that you have the replacement thermostat to hand. Quickly pull out the faulty thermostat and then insert the new thermostat. The result? Very little loss of any coolant!. After a run and checking for leaks, the job is done. The displayed temperature was a rock-steady 90 deg. C and the warm-up was quite rapid.

David
 
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Thermostats

Bit of thread creep but i am feeling a bit peeved and need to get it off my chest. We have a small vauxhall agila a which we keep in France. Water pump spang a leak, fairly simple job only problem me in France tools in Manchester. Checked out the GM/labour times, result 2.7 hours. Ok run car to local English garge, agreed on hourly rate (55€ Plus tax) had bits DHLed from ECP so just the labout then, no broken bolts on the tear down. Went to collect today labour time 11.00 hours!! FFS.
 
sounds like you got took for a ride, all garages use a service book with the hours listed for each job, and a detailed guide to follow, as you say it takes 2.7 hours it would never take 4 times as long in my opinion , even if you stopped for a brew every 10 minutes :rolleyes:
 
Hi

Should you require components in future when in France try Mister Auto who are very good and all over Europe , You could probably buy a cheap A2 for the cost of that repair ! was that a Full Front Service you also had thrown in by the Garage?

Good Luck
 
Bit of thread creep but i am feeling a bit peeved and need to get it off my chest. We have a small vauxhall agila a which we keep in France. Water pump spang a leak, fairly simple job only problem me in France tools in Manchester. Checked out the GM/labour times, result 2.7 hours. Ok run car to local English garge, agreed on hourly rate (55€ Plus tax) had bits DHLed from ECP so just the labout then, no broken bolts on the tear down. Went to collect today labour time 11.00 hours!! FFS.


Show the garage the 2.7 hours and refuse to pay more than the 2.7 hours worth of labour
 
Thread resurrection!

I had a wee look at doing this tonight. Everyone else seems to manage no problem but I have fallen at the first hurdle!

The clip on the coolant hose is, unless I’m mistaken, the original Audi effort. I see videos and posts of people cutting these with Dremels and praising them off torturously but I also see videos of people just using a pair of pliers to push the wee lugs together and things slipping apart ten reversing for reapplication. Which is the case?

Is it single use so I need to just get it off and replace it or is it just a pinch and reuse?

Thanks

Alex
 
The clips are definitely re-useable. Take care if you are using pliers or mole grips as the clips are under a lot of tension when compressed and really 'fly' if they slip when taking them off the pipe (tales of folks loosing an eye abound)
On the smaller clips it's usually possible to slide it back down the hose and leave it there, rather than fully remove it, which is much safer.
The ebay tool is a must if working on the larger air intake clips.

Cheers Spike
 
Pinch and reuse. I've used water pump pliers on these though access looks limited. If you struggle give me a shout, you know where I am.
 
Thanks people. One flew over - I am tempted by those Bowden cable pliers but if it’s only a once off I’ll maybe try Catnip’s suggestion.

I just didn’t want to have a go with no replacement to hand and end up with wet feet and a dry car.


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Just seen the extra posts... losing an eye is off the cards - I’m too pretty!!! I’ll get the cable pliers I think.

I’m not sure if it is necessary to remove it but it says to do it in the Elsawin document - maybe it doesn’t flex enough to get the thermostat in?


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Just (almost) finished this. Need to refill the coolant a bit.
I struggled but it was mostly because I didn't really look at DJ190s picture. As well as the flexible neck ratchet spanner there is a socket adaptor to allow it to connect to the quarter inch socket! Never clocked that before!
I barely managed using a very small ratchet socket and wrapping elastic bands around the seat of the socket bit so that it could be compressed to get it into place then would give enough length to move the screw. It was a real fiddle job so I've ordered adaptors for next time!

Note the hair bobble as spacer.
ed56526dd58a2e847af559b373a93416.jpg


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Been for a drive and it seems to have opened the thermostat properly - solid on 90C. Topped it up when I got back.
I never did find this second bleeder screw -
f86cf373ea766baa45b95a5f53bdaae0.jpg

I think it's at the top behind the engine. Looks different because there's a foam cover and an air intake covering it! Still, don't seem to be any air locks.


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Been for a drive and it seems to have opened the thermostat properly - solid on 90C. Topped it up when I got back.
I never did find this second bleeder screw -

I think it's at the top behind the engine. Looks different because there's a foam cover and an air intake covering it! Still, don't seem to be any air locks.


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That doesn't look like an A2 in the pictures, so that might explain it.

The oil filler cap gives that away. Only the 1.6 FSI has a filler cap and even that one is very different to the one in the picture.

The normal way to bleed these is to run them up to temperature with the coolant filler cap off.

If you have done that and the heater works and the temp stays at 90 then you are probably ok, but as usual check the level for the first few journeys or so.

Steve B
 
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