My engine takes too long to heat up to operating temp, also for the most part my oil temp gauge just sits right above 150. It seems i have to drive along time before the car get up to temp. would this be my thermostat is stuck open, therefore its alowing the coolant to flow even before it hits operating temperature?

 

coolant temp should rise to dead center and stay there. oil temp should settle around 180+ a hair, at least mine does.

 

yeah, that sounds right

 

Could be that the thermostat is stuck open.

 

Well after paying more attention I realized my engine is just fluctuating between the 2nd and third mark above C, during normal driving, which is right between C and the middle line it should be at. It seems like if i sit at idle it will heat up but it does so very slowly, and like i said, engine oil temp barely lifts off of 150. It almost seems to me that there is nothing controlling how hot the engine gets, its like its just cooling at maximum capacity all the time, so when im at idle, it doesnt cool as well because the radiator isnt getting as much air flow, but when im driving normally it is cooling off as im going faster and heating up as i slow down. The only time it gets to the middle line when i am moving is during heavy stop and go traffic. I'm no expert but this sounds like the thermostat is stuck open to me, can anyone verify? Also if i replace it should i just go with OEM, or is there a better aftermarket one that I should get? thanks alot guys.

 

Good sweet jeebus, ONLY buy OEM for thermostats. Aftermarkets are usually garbage.

I went through 4 -- FOUR -- thermostats (aftermarket) within 3 weeks, in my eagle talon. They kept giving me a new one over the counter... but I kept having to replace the gasket. I finally got lucky on the 4th. Sweet! Then I sold the car.

The talon, I had it down to about an 8 minute job... I hear it's not so fun in the Audi. Buy OEM.

 

sounds like your thermostat...what kind of mileage do you have, and has your timing belt been replaced yet?

 

I have 60,000 miles on my car, and the guy I just bought it from said he replaced the timing belt less than 200 miles ago. He has the the ticket to prove he bought the parts, but he did the work himself.

Also if i do go buy a thermo from an audi dealer around here, is there someplace online that i can look at an audi service manual, becuase i really dont feel like paying 100 bucks for the bentley manual just yet, maybe i should just get the haynes manual for now?

 

the haynes manual will help, but there is no substitute for the bentley...you can usually find the bentley CD manual for 50 bucks on ebay...the thermostat is something that should have been replaced with the timing belt...post a list of the parts that the guy replaced when he did the timing belt, as there is probably other items that he looked over that you should replace asap

 

alright, well the descriptions in this invoice are a little vague, so ill just put the abbreiated names of the stuff, if part numbers would help tell me and ill post them up too.
quantity description price
8 valve 352
1 tooth belt 36
1 beltdamper 103
1 roller 57
1 roller 22
1 gasket 2
1 gasket 29
1 0ensioner(im guessing tensioner) 85
1 gasket set 21
8 valve seal 27
1 gasket 2
2 bearing(front wheel bearings) 169

other screws etc but thats mainly it, anyone notice anything else that needs replacing if you can make out what this stuff is?
also he is running castrol 10w30 and i am planning on switching over to mobil 1 10w30.