Audi A6 2.5 V6 TDI year 2000

[anarack]

Hi all - The car seems to take an age to warm up to 90 - and can drop down from that if easy motorway driving...me thinks a partially stuck open thermostat(?) - looking at the colour of the water in the header tank it is a dirty clear reddy brown - not dark - so I am wondering if there is no anti freeze in it...could cause thermostat to stick with corrosion??

So - how long should it take an A6 to warm up with normal driving?

If I run a rad flush product through it and flush it out and then re-refresh with proper anti-freeze - could I un-stick a potentially corroded thermostat ( using a rad flush product )? As its a cheaper way than replacement..

Thanks Tim

[Peter D]

I'm afraid the stat has failed and it opening too early and too far. Fairly common failure. Yes it needs a flush and property G++ coolant but it will not fix the stat. Bad news is that the front has to go into the service position and all the belts need to come off. If the car due a cam belt change. Regards Peter

[anarack]

Hi Peter - thanks for the reply - I still have 30K or so on the timing belt - and having just spent around 1.5K getting my diesel pump reconned and a working ABS unit, I was trying to put off doing anything else major for a while - thats why I was hoping that I might free a stuck thermostat with some kind of rad flush that might free it - I know I am clutching at straws really... :)

Tim