my 96 b5 a4q has 145k on it and its thermostat is stuck open, which has begun to make the water pump leak coolant. a lot. the parts to fix the car and give it the "80k service" are around $250. i hear the doing the timing belt, water pump, etc. is a royal pain and worth taking it in to have the service done. the other day, however, i heard that a4's with 12v are a lot easier to do the service on. so heres what i cant really decide- i can wait a month and a half and fix it myself (all the tools that i would need are at a different house that i do not have access to at the moment), or take it in now and pay for an easier job to be done. what route do you guys think i should take based on the fact that the car is my daily driver and bleeding coolant everywhere?

 

Do the whole service... your going to need to do it anyways its worth it i own the 12V and it seems and sounds easy to change it all at once

 

Note: stuck open thermostat does not cause leaks. Separate issues.

 

^^ correct and +1 when you replace ur tb ur water pump will need to be replaced as well!