Is anyone else's engine running cold in this cold weather?
Ok. Have just replaced the thermostat and guess what! Engine got up to temperature quickly and throughout the entire test drive (up hill down dale and stuck behind a lorry in town) the temp gauge sat at just shy of 90 degrees. The heater was blowing lovely hot air and i have to say i think the car idles better and is running smoother. Result.
I reckon the MPG may even go up because the engine has most likely been running on choke the whole time recently. Obviously this bumps up the fuel/air mix so that it will run richer and burn more fuel. Now that the engine is running at the right temperature the choke will cut out and the mix will be leaner.
I've had a look at the old thermostat and it wasn't stuck open but the rubber seal looks a little deformed. I guess that coolant was leaking past the seal and therefore making the stat useless. This would probably be exaggerated as the coolant warmed up.
I didn't bother draining the coolant before changing the stat so i did lose a bit of it in the process. Unfortunately the service history doesn't state if it's G11/12 that's in there so as a short term measure i've topped up with water. I'm going in to town later so i'll get some new antifreeze and replace the whole lot. Job done.
So to everyone that has noticed their car running cool,,,,CHANGE THE THERMOSTAT
I reckon the MPG may even go up because the engine has most likely been running on choke the whole time recently. Obviously this bumps up the fuel/air mix so that it will run richer and burn more fuel. Now that the engine is running at the right temperature the choke will cut out and the mix will be leaner.
I've had a look at the old thermostat and it wasn't stuck open but the rubber seal looks a little deformed. I guess that coolant was leaking past the seal and therefore making the stat useless. This would probably be exaggerated as the coolant warmed up.
I didn't bother draining the coolant before changing the stat so i did lose a bit of it in the process. Unfortunately the service history doesn't state if it's G11/12 that's in there so as a short term measure i've topped up with water. I'm going in to town later so i'll get some new antifreeze and replace the whole lot. Job done.
So to everyone that has noticed their car running cool,,,,CHANGE THE THERMOSTAT
Supermico, I got a stat from Halfrauds, cost £7.
It isn't exactly the same as the original however. The bridge is a different shape so it doesn't lock in to the slot on the thermostat housing. It does fit though and sits in there securely. One thing of note is that the new o ring that came with the stat is a tad smaller than the original. This made it a bit of a pain to fit. I can't see why you should have to replace the thermostat housing as well, think the dealer is trying to pull a fast one there. I guess it's a matter of choice wether you go for a 27 Euro VAG stat or a cheaper generic one. Personally i'm skint so i had no choice.
It isn't exactly the same as the original however. The bridge is a different shape so it doesn't lock in to the slot on the thermostat housing. It does fit though and sits in there securely. One thing of note is that the new o ring that came with the stat is a tad smaller than the original. This made it a bit of a pain to fit. I can't see why you should have to replace the thermostat housing as well, think the dealer is trying to pull a fast one there. I guess it's a matter of choice wether you go for a 27 Euro VAG stat or a cheaper generic one. Personally i'm skint so i had no choice.