Hello,

i have a 2000 felicia 1.3 and am currently running it without the thermostat. I have put two new thermostats in and one replacement thermostat sensor. But when there is a thermostat in the car it fails to open, so I don't get a complete cycle of water thus causing the engine to stall when slowing down and moving down the gears. There seems to be an air blockage of some sort because squeezing the water pipes sometimes clears the apparent blockage but only temporarily. Are you aware of a this being a common problem with an easy fix? or does it need expert Skoda assistance??

thanks for your time.

The thermostats on those come in a housing.

Have you replaced the whole housing?

The housing is a common fault on them and I know they are not cheap.

But if you replace the job lot you get a temp sensor in them.

Sarah

Hi Sarah,

Yes I have replaced completely (two times just in case the first new one was faulty) The car runs like a dream without the thermostat. Even with it in, it will always start first time every time. When you sat Temp sensor, so you mean the sensor that sits on top of the Thermostst housing - i presume you do. have you had similar problems?

Still unsure if you have changed the "whole fully assembled thermostat plastic housing with thermostat and temp sensor installed" or just the thermostat.

As mentioned by Sarah the whole unit which must be changed in the event of a thermostat failure (later models) quite common fails open. The thermostat is NOT available as a replacement part when this type of housing is installed. Its expensive so if you have changed this twice you have spent a lot of money.

On earlier Felicia's and NOT a 2000 model like yours the thermostat could be changed as an individual item and is available as a spare part, this earlier type used a different housing assembly.

I bought both items separately (from Motaparts). I did not know they came complete, having said that I did not buy from a Skoda dealer. Do you recommend a Skoda part (Should I have got that at the beginning) - thanks

The part is about £50.00 ish

It is the complete thermostat housing.

Not just the thermostat as these are not available to buy alone as you have to break the arms off that hold it in place.

Your wasting alot of time and money if your just replacing something that is not available for it.

You could always try Butts Of Bawrty

IIRC they have them and they are cheaper than the dealers

Sarah

I have already replaced it and did not have to break anything, this is probably due to the age of car 'X' reg. All I have done is replaced like for like. the original sensor was a separate item to the original Thermostat. i paid 60 quid for the Thermostat alone and 10 for the sensor(bloody robdogs at Motapart) Does this make sense?

Sorry I am confusing you - when I say thermostat I mean Thermostat in its housing i.e. as a complete item. It is the sensor that is a separate item (as it did not come as part of the Thermostat (in housing) unit.

We'll get there in the end.

Hey I am there.

So it was the full job lot.

You should have got the sensor with it too.

Sounds like you should take them back and get your money back.

You should not need to run the car without the thermostat.

It was the arms that hold the thermostat in that faulters

Sarah

From what you are saying, I should have, but I suppose, if it is as you say the arms of the housing that cause the fault why would i need a new sensor? i am very interseted in the arms being the problem here - thanks for that sarah - has anyone else found this? Shouldn't Skoda themselves be a liitle bit more sympathetic if this is a common fault?

Hi

The sensors are common too.

I had 3 on my Felicia.

Mine was a diesel one though.

But still common with ALL the Felicias

Sarah

From what you are saying, I should have, but I suppose, if it is as you say the arms of the housing that cause the fault why would i need[/b'] a new sensor? i am very interseted in the arms being the problem here - thanks for that sarah - has anyone else found this? Shouldn't Skoda themselves be a liitle bit more sympathetic if this is a common fault?

What Sarah is trying to say is that - if you need thermostat for your late model Felicia The only option is to get a "Themostat housing complete" from a Skoda dealer. When obtained as an original Equipment replacement it comes with the temp sensor installed in the unit. The sensor is available as a seperate Skoda part but not the thermostat i.e if sensor fails this may be sourced from Skoda as a seperate part but not the thermostat.

Motaparts may well supply a separate housing that includes a thermostat but not the sensor- Skoda DO NOT - whether the non OE sensor/ thermostat in the one you have is suitable for your car who knows - best to get OE parts.

Did you fit the whole new housing after fitting the sensor to it or did you remove the thermostat from the new housing and fit in the old housing to save some work?

I replaced the housing and therm (not the sensor)., then when that did not solve the problem, took trhe unit back to motaparts and exchanged it for a new one again (claiming the first one they gave me might have been faultyas well.) So I fiited the 2nd new Housing and therm. but to no joy so I bought a new sensor and replaced the original sensor. Resulting in 1/ a new Thermostat + housing and 2/ A new sensor. But again no joy - the therm. pin is closed so preventing water circulation. So now I have an empty housing plus sensor, and the car is running perfect all be it a little cold in the cockpit fist thing. What do you think causes the thermostat to fail? The arms as Sarah has suggested??

With the Skoda item, the thermostat I believe normally fails open so temp gauge does not rise much over lower limit and heater and water system remains cool - much the same as you are experiencing with thermostat removed.

As you say you have the reverse problem this is probably not problem - with the thermostat in is the temp gauge reaching normal?:- if the stat is remaining closed you will overheat. If the water is failing to circulate it may be that you have a leaking head gasket that is preventing the water circulating - however this would give you overheating problems and an eratic temp gauge reading.

Dont know what fails in the Skoda item but only know when it does the whole unit has to be changed.

What about the heater matrix?

Do they get clogged up?

Could be worth doing a clean on the cooling system?

Sarah

Np temp guage problems, engine does not show signs of overheating when fault occurs, don't like the idea of a head gasket leak, would that not be apparent with and without a therm. unit in. I appreciate the thought (it has been mentioned as a maybe)

Will give matrix a clean through - thanks for that

Sorry cant really see why you have assumed its a thermostat fault, you say temp gauge reads normal - no overheating- So it could be that the thermostat is doing its job keeping the engine at he correct temp. Circulation will be limited with partially or closed thermostat.

If what you are saying is correct and the engine runs better on the cool side without a thermostat. I suggest the car is looked at by a Skoda dealership to see whats happening - it may be that when the ECU (engine control Unit) is is being told the engines hot by the temp sensor the mixture/ fueling is reduced (as is normal) and the engine stalls as you are experiencing - running without a thermostat means sending false signals to the ECU that the engines cold when its actually hot so will continue with an enriched fueling - which for some reason you engine needs due to a fault of some sort - or you have a duff or incorrect temp sensor (i.e old one had failed and new non OE sensor is not suitable.