I have a 97 1.8tQ and my heat is pretty much not heat. It takes forever to warm up and thats all it really does is get warm. So i am thinking it is my thermostat. My question is am i going to be able to get to it with out removing parts of the front end? i have seen different answers to this. I can see the drain bolt for the coolant through an opening in the bottom side of my bumper so that won't be a problem.
Another thing is my temp gauge never moves much at all. Is that a result the thermostat being stuck and not letting it get up to temp or is it the sensor?

Another thing that i forgot to add is that the coolant that is currently in it is discolored. THere are deposits along the side of the resivour and on the cap. Could this of been from the previous owner using regular antifreeze to top it off? and could this be a cause of my heat issue because it could of clogged the heater core, although i still do get some heat after some highway driving?

Going to work on it this weekend so some advice would be helpful. Thanks guys

 

Anyone?

 

Not sure about taking off the front end but you gotta do what you gotta do. I am having a similar problem but not as bad as yours. In any case, as for the reservoir, are your deposits along the reservoir wall the same color or is it different colors? Most if not all B5 A4's and S4's reservoirs start yellowing on the outside and also leaving a reddish/pink hue on the inside. If yours is any different, I suggest a complete flush rather than just a drain/fill. Remember to use the OEM G12 coolant from Audi.

 

Jack the car up. Follow the lower radiator house to were it connects to the motor. Pop it off. Unbolt the thermostat cover. Stick in new thermostat. Put everything back together. Thats it

 

Thanks guys. My coolant is not the pink at all its sort of a yellow almost brownish. So i will be running some water through when i drain and refill to try to get it all cleaned out.

Sampson.. thanks for your reply i couldnt really find that answer on here and it being 7 degrees here i wasnt about to get under my car and look. luckly im using a buddys garage to do it all this weekend