Hello, forum

 

My 1.4 16v fabia is leaking engine coolant. There is plenty of pink powder (dryed out coolant) where the thermostat housing is attached to the cylinder head and where the coolant temp sensor is attached to the housing. I'd guess the o-rings have been blown off but the coolant temp gauge dives when drive on the motorway at constant, high speed. So, the engine runs cooler than normal. So, I say the thermostat housing is RIP. The question is what part should I buy. Is there a metal after market or plastic is the only availiable? And if so, should I buy an after market or the genuine is the only robast enough?

Just buy a new housing, seal and thermostat, you're not going to want to do this again, it's age which causes the plastic to embrittle and crack rather than quality.

Genuine or not?

What year is the car? What engine code?

I very much doubt that there's an affordable metal alternative.

Why not just change the O-rings, items 7, 11, here: https://skoda.7zap.com/en/cz/fabia/fab/2000-225/1/121-121075/?

Obviously that won't help if the housing has cracked, but I doubt that until shown otherwise.

It does sound like the thermostat may be dead though, so probably simpler to do the lot.

Edited 23 August, 20187 yr by Wino

Genuine one with everything included here for £50: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-Audi-thermostat-housing-1-4-Polo-Fabia-Ibiza-032121111AP/372318449822?hash=item56afe8b09e:g:qPUAAOSwrQxbDBso

Seems like a bargain to me.

Thank you for your replies! Sepulchrave, I hope you are right about the plastic durability. Wino, it is a 18-years-old plastic housing, so I don't trust it any more. I guess it is beyond it's oem tolerances after all these years (I know the first owner and he never replaced it). Car is a 2000 aub engined fabia.