DIY THERMOSTAT

Here we go!


Things you will need
      •     5mm Allen wrench
      •     channelocks ( get a good pair your fingers will thank you )
      •     Ratchet, extension, and 10mm socket
      •     Assorted flat head screwdrivers
      •     Needle nose pliers
      •     Coolant to top up as needed (notice I used the cars terminology)
      •     Lighting of some sort
Things you will wish you had
      •     Garage, shop, shed, carport, or other suitable work area
        (with heater)
      •     Table to put tools / parts
      •     Long needle nose pliers
      •     5mm Allen on a socket
      •     Look at the pics that might give you some ideas as to what
        might make the job eaiser
                           





















attention 5mm allen not 4mm
































I think I had about a day tied up in this it is hard to say for sure as I was dealing with kids and less than favoriable weather.
with this information you should be able to get the job done in less than half a day.

just be patient.

P.S. anyone in the spokane area who does not want to do this themselves let me know and I will be happy to do it for half the dealer labor. attention 5mm allen not 4mm

Edited by jennbugbuttercup - 02-Jan-2010 at 02:22

Well done! Thanks for the write-up!

Great write up! Thanks for posting.

the new t-stat has an o-ring type seal that comes with it. and by the checked the codes i started with a P0597 which is gone now, however i still have P0016 , and now a P0208 think i may have messed up the #8 injector wire bout to take apart again and see what is up

oops didnt plug injector in all the way that will do it every time.

Edited by jennbugbuttercup - 02-Jan-2010 at 23:13

Ok this has been a great write up. I feel confident i could do this repair. But first i want to make sure its a thermostat i need and not one or both temp sensors. My car is an '03 passat w8 and the other day my engine light came on and when i stopped i heard my fans blaring and still running for a few minutes after the engine was shut down. I reset the computer and all was fine until today the light and fans went on again. One thing i've noticed with my car is that the temp gauge takes a lot longer to register 190 degrees and today when it started acting up the gauge read lower than normal. I haven't read to much on what temp gauges are doing when people are experiencing this problem. If i need to replace the Tstat what else is needed besides the Tstat? I've found the upper manifold gasket but I'm having a hard time finding the two lower ones. Anyone have a part # and/or a distributor? Also i don't have a manual for this car so torque specs for Tstat and upper and lower manifold bolts would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks everyone for this great thread.