Water temperature

[smilin-s]

Hi there ...

Just bought a A4 estate 1.8 20V and my water temperature seems to go up fine to around 90 when the car is standing or in city traffic but when I drive cools right down again ... any ideas what that could be?

Cheers Seb

[Col]

Assuming the A4 has a viscose fan as does my Passat....

I'd say the fan has locked up and is over cooling.

[smilin-s]

Ok. How can I check that? Is there anything i can do about it?

Thanks

[Col]

You cannot really check it yourself. Try spinning the fan by hand ENGINE OFF obviously, it should quite freely move.

The only way to eliminate it would be to remove it from the pulley and go for a drive to see if the temp still dipped down as you have described.

This is obviously quite risky as if you get stuck in traffic your engine could get a tad to warm.

No doubt VW / Audi would either have some gizmo to check it that would be unavailable to Joe public or they would slap a new one on anyway.

[rhencullen1989]

Bet 100% its your thermostat, its the cheapest thing to replace as well, flush your cooling system while you are at it and re fill with audi G12+ coolant, its the reddy pink coloured stuff. Never mix G12+with any other coolants.

[Crasher]

I would not be surprised if the thermostat has been removed, I have seen this on a few ADR engines. Is it an ADR engine?

[Col]

Gents,

I'd agree but reading the above it gets up to temp normally but over cools on a run.

In fact Smilie, does it warm up quickly or take ages and ages ?

[routers77]

i would change your thermostat. had exactly the same symptoms before i had mine changed. reads a constant 90 degrees when warm now, stood in traffic or on the open road. (mine is the adr engine.)

[olds_kool]

if it was the thermostat it would struggle to get to 90 deg. in the first place wouldnt it?
still worth replacing, easy job just dont mix red and blue coolant

[smilin-s]

Wow, thanks guys, that was more feedback than i ever got in a car forum!

Yep it's the ADR engine. It takes forever to get up to 90 degrees so I suspect the Thermostat now.

... as I am a poor student i suppose i'll hav to fix it myself ... :Blush2: but where does it sit? :Blush2:

Thanks again!

[solorider]

the thermostat is on an housing on the left side of the engine (as you sit in the car) it is near the bottom of the housing with an elbow angling backwards,you can get the thermostat from any factors but i would get the seal from an audi dealer as from experience they are a better fit,the seal is part no 038121119b

[smilin-s]

thanks very much!

[Crasher]

The thermostat is in the bottom of the water pump on an ADR.