Hello members,

Can someone tell me how to replace the thermostat ( or where it is located ) on an Audi a4 1996 2.8L

Thank you

 

dude seriously...... if your car is over heating replacing the thermostat will not do anything... why dont you try and diagnose the problem before you go replacing things..

when does it over heat? how badly? expand a little more on your post so we can help you..

 

Make sure you dont have air in your system. fill up your water reservor to "full" go for a drive, get it warm, and let it cool down completely. The system should purge itself of air. Air gets hot MUCH faster than water, and will cause your system to overheat... thus air is BAD.. Your reservor tank is above your system, and thus the air in your reservor tank will not go into the actual circulating system.

First thing I would do is check for leaks, then take out your radiator, and have it flushed at a radiator shop (100 bucks, cheap insurance), then I would check and replace any hoses, also check your water pump. And while your in there, take off your thermostat, put it in a pot of boiling water with kitchen thermostat watching the temp of thewater, Check and see at what temperature it opens. It should open between 160 and 200. If you just dont know.. spend 20 bucks and get a new one.

Oh ya, buy a service manual.

 

http://www.12v.org/engine/index.php?...&view=cool

 

This is kinda from memory and kinda from the manual so bare with me. first you gotta remove the bumper by removing the lower grills. there are 2 long bolts that hold the bumper to the shock absorbers. these can be seen in the holes where the grills were. unscrew those bolts and remove them. you should have a little play in your bumper now. now is a kinda tricky part. you need to pull out and down on the top edge of the bumper near the wheel on both sides. its gonna seem like you might break it but you wont. just pull hard out and down. now your bumper should come rite off. set it to the side. now you should be able to see how your lock carrier is bolted to the car.(the lock carrier is what holds your radiator) thereshould be8 bolts onthe front where the lockcarrier attaches to the shock absorbers. remove those. and there also should be 2 or 3 bolts per side on the top of the carriernear the quater panel right where the headlights would be.(i forgot to mention to remove your head lights, do that in the beginning. you have to.)anyways, remove those 2 or 3 bolts fromeach side and the lock carrier should be able to slide forward. now the part i'm not too sure about is whether or not you need to completely remove the lock carrier to get at the thermostat.so either you can put a longrachet with a socket that fits the tensioner nuton the tensioner and pull in order to release the serpentine belt. remove the belt. now you have to remove your timing belt. so my advice is to completely remove your lock carrier. it will make life a whole lot easier. once that is off figure out how to remove the timing belt. make sure you pay attention to how it comes apart.and also make sure you never move your cam gears once the belt is off our you're f'ed. and mark their positioning just in case. once the timing belt is gone you should be able to get at the thermostat cover on the front of the engine. remove the bolts and the cover. now you should be able to remove your thermostat. when you install your new one make sure the little vent on the new thermostat is at the top. and reverse the order to put all your stuff back on. if you want torque specs let me know. it's 130 am and i'm going to bed. hope this helps a little or at least makes you realize its not an easy job. and you might as well replace your belts, water pump, and tensioners all at the same time. good luck.[/align]

 

Hello again,

Thank you for your help. It is fairly easy to know that the thermostat is defective. if you look at the diagram http://www.12v.org/engine/index.php?...&view=cool ( thanks Dave ) out of the radiator. The one on the driver side gets hot and the one on the passenger side stays cold. can only be 2 things. Thermostat and/or wtare pump. Removing the timing belt to replace a thermostat! worst design ever. these guys were on crack

Thank you.

 

A sticking Tstat is the #1 cause for an engine to overheat (or not heat up enough), especially in the cooler months. If there are no fault codes and everything else obvious checks out, I would definately replace the Tstat and do a coolant flush while you are at it.

 

Hi,
I brought the engine to TDC and replaced the thermostat
At the last minute the camshaft moved cause didn't have the tool 3391. How can I determine TDC now. any marks on the camshat/cylinder head. Or should I go ahead and buy the tool?

Thanks