thermostat problems...please help!

**price** · 09-17-2008 08:34 PM

it seems the my thermostat is always cold...i dosent seem to move at all...so i need to replace it right...how much is it to buy one...and how hard would it be for myself to do it...with somewhat mechanical knowledge??

thanks!

**Nebone** · 09-17-2008 08:56 PM

Does your engine temp gauge stay at cold? Thermostat is not the easiest thing to replace on the 97 but doable. It could also be a coolant temp sensor that's faulty. Check out www.mjmautohaus.com

**MattzWarsteiner** · 09-17-2008 11:33 PM

Start it, drive it about 10 minutes and see if the radiator hoses are warm bordering on hot.
If they are, the coolant temp gauge should have moved some..

**DND** · 09-18-2008 08:26 AM

I've got a similar problem, I know it's the thermostat because it's already been diagnosed by the dealership. It gets stuck and usually reads lower than it should but mine doesn't stay always at 60, it will go to 70 or 80 but if it ever does go to 90 it won't stay there.

Are they any easier to change on a 2001? I'd rather not pay the dealer over $300 if I don't have to...

x2 on "how much is it to buy one"? And from where to get the best price?

**crono35** · 09-18-2008 11:22 AM

I had this problem too - it would go up to midway during city driving, but on the freeway it would drop back to halfway between cold and middle. It all went away after I did my timing belt/water pump.

If you're going to swap out the pump, might as well do your timing belt at the same time and save some trouble. ECStuning usually has complete kits (belt, tensioner, water pump, coolant) for around $290:

http://www.ecstuning.com/stage/edpd/...ategory=Timing

For the price of just the thermostat, you can get every single thing done. It's a pain the first time if you've never taken the front end of the car off, but once you're fluent you can do a timing belt job in just under 2 hours start to finish. Give yourself 8 hours the first time to do everything right. I'd probably be able to do it under 2 hours if i didn't have to wrestle with my FMIC every time i put the bumper back on.

**98 a4** · 09-19-2008 09:22 AM

Originally Posted by price

it seems the my thermostat is always cold...i dosent seem to move at all...so i need to replace it right...how much is it to buy one...and how hard would it be for myself to do it...with somewhat mechanical knowledge??

thanks!

This past spring I changed out the thermostate and water pump...its pretty easy but the only hard part is that you put it in upside down so it wants to fall out before you can put the cover on so what I did is put some(a little) grease on it so that it would stay in there enough time so that i could screw the cover on...Thats how it was on my 1.8 i'm not sure if you have the 1.8 or not but thats how you do it...there should be some DIY write up about this..but its pretty easy

**DND** · 09-24-2008 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by crono35

http://www.ecstuning.com/stage/edpd/...ategory=Timing

For the price of just the thermostat, you can get every single thing done.

There are three different thermostats listed on that page you provided the link for; two of them state that they run colder which would use more gas (which is the problem I have now) but does the third one match OEM exactly?

Also, why are the two colder ones more expensive than the third one?

Sadly my timing belt has already been done so is it really the same amount of work for the thermostat? It can't be or the dealership would charge more I would think...

**crono35** · 09-24-2008 10:40 AM

hm, I got the one that came in the kit and everythign seems to be working properly. I'm sure if you contact them they'll tell you which one matches OEM exactly.

Actually come to think of it, I was thinking that replacing the water pump takes about the same amount of work as replacing the timing belt. Thermostat is much easier, just drain the coolant and you can get to it from under the car.

I tried looking for a writeup, but didn't find one for the B5.