Thermostat - genuine or cheap? TDi

Pinkythelabrat

A2OC Donor
I think it's time to bite the bullet and give this a go. I've looked at the Elsawin guide and it looks manageable on my TDi. A local member offered to help (Thanks buddy!) but I'm just not getting the time to sort that out. How hard can it be?

So - the purpose of this thread is to ask what people do for a replacement. It looks like an hour's labour - I suspect others could do it quicker - so I'm thinking that I might try a cheap part first and see if that works.

Cheapo options from £8 with new gasket seal. I'll see what Crewe come back with for a genuine one but I'm expecting a bit more.

Thoughts?


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I have fitted both and they both seem to work the same i.e get to 90Deg in about 4 miles of town driving in the summer weather and then hold the 90Deg temp, the pattern part came from Euro car parts and was about £4 from memory and did contain the seal in the box. This was on the AML engine both 2001MY

I personally doubt that Audi make their own thermostats anyway, so if anyone in the know as any idea which manufacturer Audi got the thermostat from that would be most helpful

It is more like 1.5 hours to change the stat as I have never managed it without moving the alternator out of the way (other have), then you have to drain some water and then refile the water and remove the air locks, if the undertray if off it makes collecting the water a lot easier, don'r forget the G12/G13 antifreeze

Cheers,
 
Just changed the stat In my silver tdi. The Audi one that came out was identical in every way even down to the pressing and crimping point to that of the Curcoli stat that I got from Euro car parts the other day. It was £4 with some discount code that they emailed to me.


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I did ours without removing the alternator. Just needs a flexi socket, ring spanner, open ended spanner combo to get to one of the bolts.
 
I've ordered the ring spanner.

Paul, I hope it can be done without removing the alternator! Here's hoping.

If I can't get it off myself without moving the alternator then I think I'll seek my local TMNT's help.


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I made my own spanner
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removing the alternator is really no big deal, you don't technically have to remove it, just the top bolt removed and the lower bolt loose, then the alternator will pivot forward on the lower mounting bolt. before undoing the alternator bolts, release the tension on the drive belt pulley and lock it open with a pin, then remove the 3bolts to attach the tensioner and remove the tensioner, then the alternator top bolt out and the lower bolt slackened, alternator will then pivot forward and down a little. the thermostat is then easy to get at.
There are a couple of plastic fingers inside the plastic housing, once the stat bolts are removed pull the housing away (lots of water will then run out, with it separated about 1/4" looses the O ring which is in front of the stat. If you don't do this and the O ring as stuck, the stat is retained in the engine block and you are likely to break one or both of the fingers. No big deal if you do the fingers are there to hold the stat in place for easier re assy.

Cheers,
 
Removing the alternator would make the thermostat easier but is beyond me. I made my own tool too.


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i tried a few things, even cutting a 10mm socket in half to make it fit in the small space but that just wasted £5.

you need the halfords rachet spanners, and there adapter they sell to fit sockets to said spanner.... this works. i tried for ages and wasted a lot of time before going out and buying the adapters (already had the spanners)

i see people have made other methods work but i failed. but the above DOES work
 
You can also use said ratchet spanner and a ground down (shortened) allen key bit - the thermostat bolts have a 5mm allen sized hole in the middle of them. This is how I replaced my 13 year old original thermostat a couple of months back. Fiddly, but easier than alternator removal.
 
I hope I’m done - I had to fettle the ratchet spanner a little to get enough play to use it properly - I can only imagine Audi have a very bendy spanner in their tookits!

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It wasn’t particularly loose though when I got the tool on - my elastic band effort seemed to have done a pretty good job. A few clicks.

I’ve had to top the reservoir up from almost empty to min twice since I fitted the thermostat. Hopefully it was just air moving but if it continues to drop I’m going to throw the spanner (ground down ratchet) in and go to the Garage. It may be because I only found one bleeder screw - fingers crossed!


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I hope I’m done - I had to fettle the ratchet spanner a little to get enough play to use it properly - I can only imagine Audi have a very bendy spanner in their tookits!

a801e15894b48710682fb7cb1163e45c.jpg


It wasn’t particularly loose though when I got the tool on - my elastic band effort seemed to have done a pretty good job. A few clicks.

I’ve had to top the reservoir up from almost empty to min twice since I fitted the thermostat. Hopefully it was just air moving but if it continues to drop I’m going to throw the spanner (ground down ratchet) in and go to the Garage. It may be because I only found one bleeder screw - fingers crossed!


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Give me a shout on this if you want Alex. For me I had to go back and tighten the bottom screw a quarter turn and it stopped any leaks. Used an Allen key seemed to get more purchase for the final turn
 
Lol! Thanks Bud. I read mike’s post about Allen keys after I’d put the bonnet back on but I was starting to worry about stripping the bolt too... how much torque is a mystery since there is NO WAY my torque wrench is getting in there!

If it leaks I’ll maybe give the Allen key a try - I do know someone with a Helicoiling kit (right Cammy?)


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If it's any help I tightened this one until my face turned blue.

What happens when (or if) I get round to replacing again is anyone's guess :)
 
The trouble with sealing the thermostat housing is that you need to make sure the mating surface is scrupulously clean, as there's not a lot of deformation of the O ring available. I made sure I wire-wooled the opening when I had my stat out and finished off with a dry rag and made sure no water/drops of rust/dirt ran down afterwards.

You don't need a lot of torque, just a clean joint.
 
The trouble with sealing the thermostat housing is that you need to make sure the mating surface is scrupulously clean, as there's not a lot of deformation of the O ring available. I made sure I wire-wooled the opening when I had my stat out and finished off with a dry rag and made sure no water/drops of rust/dirt ran down afterwards.

You don't need a lot of torque, just a clean joint.

Thanks bud. It looked pretty good but I gave it a scrub with a 'rough' microfibre cloth. I was afraid to get contaminants in it and it looked clean enough. Hopefully it was just Webasto bubbles and it'll be good now. If not...


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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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Sorry to hear that - mind you, if you can wire and plumb, you should be able to take to spannering with a bit of practise.


Word of warning too - if you're fishing around the alternator area to get a socket out, disconnect the battery terminals just to be sure you don't arc anything out on the engine casing. I pretty much welded a spanner to the engine case once - never again though!!
 
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