So recently my temperature gauge decided to stop working.....
01' 1.8t 5 speed quattro

like it doesn't do ****...doesn't move at all it just says my car is always cold...
so i kinda narrowed it down to 2 things, either a sensor or maybe the t-stat is stuck open....?
so like the title says before i go to the auto parts store and start spending money on parts, do any of you think it might be one of the 2?

thnx

 

its probably the temp sender.
I'm pretty sure even if your thermostat is open all the time your coolant gets warm. if your heater blows decentlyl warm at all, then its likely to be the sender

 

My car's t-stat is stuck at least partially open. I have changed the temp sensor and the gauge works better, but it still will only reach normal temp on the gauge when sitting still (unless the weather is warm out). When I drive in the cold, the gauge drops back down. It's the t-stat in my case. If you have the same symptoms, you could be looking at a t-stat too. Still, the temp sensor is only about $20 and is a relatively easy swap, plus it's a known failure cause on these cars, so change that first. If it's still misbehaving, try burping the radiator/cooling system, and if no luck with that, get in there and change the t-stat.

 

I had the same problem man. My temp gauge had erratic movement and then eventually stayed cold permanantly. I replaced the coolant temp sensor yet the problem persisted. I replaced the t-stat 3 days ago. It seemed to have fixed the problem for about 2 days but today the needle just DROPPED completely before getting home. WTF, this sucks, lol. I heard this could be because of air bubbles in the coolant lines or something. Any ideas? Thanks

P.S. I'll wait a few more days and see if the temp needle stays halfway consistantly. Ill let you guys know. ;-)

 

ok heres an update:

today after being dissapointed that the cards lost to the steelers i came home and just outta nowere i decided to turn on my car, since i didnt turn it on the whole day, i turned it on left it running for like 20 mins. came back and my gauge is up and running again...haha nice...

i havent replaced it at all, i tried to yesterday but i just disconnected it and was about to but then i had to pick up my sis from work so i connected it back and that was that...
and now its working?
not complaining or anything but is the sensor going bad or is it something else?

 

B5 a4's were known for having intermittent instrument cluster problems with both the temp and fuel level gauges. You can get them rebuilt or buy a replacement off ebay for farily cheap and the install isnt terrible. But if it is working now then dont worry about it.

The coolant temp sensor being bad could also be your prob. and is a very cheap and easy fix.