Thermostat Change Advice?

[suj]

Hi all,

So my thermostat looks like it's going, sticking open (overcooling).

So I have done a search on here and found the following threads:

http://www.clio197.net/threads/changing-coolant-thermostat.55802/

http://www.clio197.net/threads/thermostat-change-and-coolant-system-bleed.52567/#post-580155

So a summary:

* 2 bleed points
- Heater matrix pipe
- Thermostat housing
* Heater on full temp (autoclimate, so 27 degrees) when cooling (normal for cars, so this is fine)
* OEM Renault coolant is a yellowy/green colour.
* Don't mix coolant colours (always made sure I put same back in anyway on other cars)
* Part number of Thermostat is 8200772994

So a few questions, is there any tips to do it (just many cars have different ways, like my MR2 was park nose down etc)?
Is this correct:
- Remove the housing pipe, lift up so you don't lose too much coolant
- Open the bleed points when refilling coolant
- Keep open the bleed points with engine running to allow air out until coolant comes out
- Let it cool down and top up the coolant level

Also my car has pinkish red coolant, so what can people suggest to put in? (It had cambelt etc done at ALS by last owner, so they put it in, I guess I can contact them and find out).

Also I would like to do it ASAP, ideally a genuine Thermostat, but seems like it is too late to get one soon (don't really want to run an overcooling car too much), anyone who where I could get one ASAP, or any other aftermarket ones people suggest?

I don't get Good Friday off, we get Monday and Tuesday off, so I have Tuesday to do it if needs be, but I would like to do it Sunday, get it sorted.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Antti O]

I have BEHR Thermosthat, aftermarket. No issues. My local workshop got it next day delivered.
We had -20celsius and i had open thermosthat, it was cuite "cool" to drive.

 

[suj]

I have BEHR Thermosthat, aftermarket. No issues. My local workshop got it next day delivered.
We had -20celsius and i had open thermosthat, it was cuite "cool" to drive.

Thanks Antti, the only Behr I seen was a 89degree thermostat, our engines use 75degree thermostats.
Do you by any chance know the part number?

I am struggling to get an OEM one, I found one place with a Gates one, but no seal with it.
Only one I can find in stock and ready to collect is a Circoli from Eurocarparts that is a 75degree one with a seal, it's not the best but I might just buy it and order a OEM one from Paul @ RPD, and fit that once it arrives after.

As I need to use the car over the weekend, just unfortunate it happened last night (well that I noticed properly)

 

[suj]

So I found a Gates thermostat from a Motor factors near my mates house, but they don't have a seal, so I have to go get a Seal from GSF, then he is gonna collect that for me, then go collect that from his haha.

Really far-fetched, but better than using a Circolli one!

 

[Antti O]

Hello

My car do have that behr thermosthat. I am quite sure it is 89celsius model.
Unfortunately i dont have that part number now.
When car is in normal temp needle stays directly in 12 o clock position. I have had no issues at all. In fact it is so much warmer in our cold climate than oem thermosthat, but i dont believe there is not so big difference in real life. When i bought my car thermosthat was completely open and i drove 2 weeks in the middle of winter with broken thermosthat. I check tempeature with obd dongle and android software, it was something like 58celsius in highway.
Genuine thermosthat delivery time was 1 month from France to Finland, so i choose next day delivery and Behr. I have had absolutely no issues with it. In the other hand, i dont know how it works when we have 30celsius in summer some days..

If you have something like +10 celsius now in UK, in my opinion you can drive some weeks with broken thermostat, it will take more fuel and dont beat that car when engine is running too cool. I dont know how many months or years my car thermosthat was broken before i bought the car.. first owner told me that he wasnt even found out that there was any problem..

 

[suj]

Yeah see part of me is like "surely a normal 89degree one is fine", but then the other part says "Renault made it 75degrees for a reason".

Yeah, it should be fine for work etc, but I'm going on a road trip soon, so I want it perfect, so I got the Gates one, it does have a seal...doh haha.

Now I have 2 seals!

I'll fit it on Sunday morning, as I have more spare time, thanks for the help, it's much appreciated as usual Antti ::

 

[mannors007]

To be honest you don't need to remove the battery etc as in the video. I removed the front air intake pipe then removed the connecting air intake pipe with the secondary 'down' intake. Then it's easy to get to the thermostat. Takes maybe 15 mins to swap out, only tough bit is the lower of the 3 bolts holding the thermostat in place. You'll lose a small amount of coolant but a litre bottle is more than enough to top it back up.
I have an aftermarket non-OEM thermostat and it works a treat. Remember, Renault don't make any of these parts, they're all made by OEM suppliers. Example- I had to replace the Knock sensor on my RS 200, the cheapest part was only £29 online (I never went to Renault but I was told £90 is their price). When I removed the old knock sensor and compare it to the new one it was exactly the same, both made by Valeo and both had same markings/part number etc.
That 'Renault Tax' sure is expensive....

 

[suj]

Thanks, I've just changed it, I know one bleed point is on the heater matrix, is there one on the stat housing?

Reply needed ASAP. I lost like less than a litre of coolant, PS my stat was a mess.... Pics soon!

 

[mannors007]

Thanks, I've just changed it, I know one bleed point is on the heater matrix, is there one on the stat housing?

Reply needed ASAP. I lost like less than a litre of coolant, PS my stat was a mess.... Pics soon!

Just run it as normal and after a day top up the fluid via the expansion tank (coolant tank). A litre loss of coolant will have no impact on the engines ability to cool since it will still have a normal amount of coolant in it (although at the minimum end of normal rather than max).


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[suj]

Thanks mate, all done now.

Just some cars are so fussy for bleeding, my 740iL was just ridiculous!

So this will be why my car was overcooling....





So I took the housing off to see the pin... I then shit myself!
Then the thermostat cage came out, then luckily the spring and copper bit did, I looked at the puzzle that is my stat and it looks like I've got all the bits.... It's scary as hell though! Could have been catastrophic.

 

[mannors007]

Thanks mate, all done now.

Just some cars are so fussy for bleeding, my 740iL was just ridiculous!

So this will be why my car was overcooling....





So I took the housing off to see the pin... I then shit myself!
Then the thermostat cage came out, then luckily the spring and copper bit did, I looked at the puzzle that is my stat and it looks like I've got all the bits.... It's scary as hell though! Could have been catastrophic.

My old Mini Cooper S JCW (R53) was really hard to bleed air from, always did it over 3 cycles of cooling/heating to get the air out.

That thermostat looks ruined, mine wasn't working but hadn't actually broken-up


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[suj]

My old Mini Cooper S JCW (R53) was really hard to bleed air from, always did it over 3 cycles of cooling/heating to get the air out.

That thermostat looks ruined, mine wasn't working but hadn't actually broken-up


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Yeah the 740iL had 110degree stat, so you couldn't bleed it properly without a good vacuum bleeder!

I've done a few thermostats now, I've never seen it break like that ever, I'm a boy worried, hopefully I got everything out and it was a freak thing!

 

[suj]

Seriously, my thermostat can't have gone again? I know I bought a non-OEM one, but not a crap brand, Gates!

It keeps going from between line 2 and 3, then sitting at 3!

I guess I am going to have to buy a OEM one from Paul @ RPD *enter sigh*

 

[Timbo]

I just changed mine, fitting the genuine Renault stat, and that's where it sits on my gauge, too. The 75C stat in our cars means it runs cooler than earlier Clios; on a dyne last week, my temp was 87C max at WOT and full load, and cooled to 75C at idle with the dyno fans. That's just above line 2. With my dicky stat, the idle temp was about 65C and sat below line 2

 

[suj]

I just changed mine, fitting the genuine Renault stat, and that's where it sits on my gauge, too. The 75C stat in our cars means it runs cooler than earlier Clios; on a dyne last week, my temp was 87C max at WOT and full load, and cooled to 75C at idle with the dyno fans. That's just above line 2. With my dicky stat, the idle temp was about 65C and sat below line 2

The thing is, when I first changed the stat, it sat at third line perfectly, it never dropped, so why after like 1.5months has it started dropping down? Or is it due to being a bit cooler outside?

I will fish out my Bluetooth ODB2 dongle and see if I can log temp and see how it looks.

 

[Timbo]

Yeah, ultimately the best thing to do is to check the temperature using another source, e.g., OBD device or laser thermometer