hi all well iv been looking for a cheap thermostat online but cant seem to find anywhere that sells them. Iv tried the brokers but my cheapest quote was £30 but i have found them for other makes of cars for like £6. I want to try and do this myself as being a student going to a mechanic is not the wisest thing to do sometimes. My car is a 1998 1.3 ford fiesta finesse :D
thanks
adam
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Halfords around £6, Ford themselves are £10.
£30?? Are you sure this is a 1.3 and not a 1.25?
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yh it was £20 + vat +£5 delivery for a 1.3 fiesta. i didnt know halfords did them ill have a look in there soon. Thanks for all the help :)
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yh it was £20 + vat +£5 delivery for a 1.3 fiesta.
They must be making a tidy profit out of that! I was thinking the 1.25 Zetec might have one of those thermostats which is built into half the cooling system, hence the price, but alas not.
Yes Screwloose is right Halfords won't sell you the right one. I got an 88 deg. one when I needed a 92 deg. which wasn't in stock or listed for my car.
Ford will not only sell you the right one but it will have a proper ball bearing for the snifting (?) valve.
I just confirmed mine was £9.99 inc. VAT back in January. Don't forget to buy the gasket whilst you're there, about 50p.
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Why not try the parts counter at a dealer? You might get the right one there.
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>>I want to try and do this myself as being a student going to a mechanic is not the wisest thing to do sometimes.
You are obviously happy that the thermostat needs replacing but have you attempted a job like this before ?
Perhaps some other members might like to comment / advise.
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Not a nice job, its easy but very messy unless you drain the coolant out first. A Fiesta thermostat should cost no more than £5. There are two different kinds though, one that opens at 89c and one that opens at 92c, make sure you get the right one.
Also make sure you can either make your own gasket or have a new ready made one ready, as the existing gasket is likely to brake when you remove the thermostat.
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yeah i was told by the garage that it needed replacing and iv asked on here too. Yup i was going to get a new gasket too. i wont be doing it quite on my own my friend who does lots of stuff with cars and my step dad are going to lend a hand. I was wondering if emptying out the coolant was the best way to go....is there no way i can just cap the end of the hoses going into the thermostat??
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Probably not a bad idea to flush out the cooling system while you're at it? I have a feeling that a new thermostat is simply what garages try first. But of course getting the air out of the system afterwards, particularly the heater matrix, can be a pain. If you've got helpers I guess a hand over each of the hoses, with a top-up to follow, would do the job.
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the garage fixed my electro valve and then suggested a new thermostat as it defo doesn't work (see my other thread lol) ill let you know how it goes. Any advice on getting the air out would be most welcome :)
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advice on getting the air out would be most welcome :)
Running the engine will suffice.
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A local motor factors should have what you require, especially in view of it being a popular model.
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Drain all the old coolant and put fresh coolant in. Turn the heater temp to full hot before you start and you shouldn't get any air locks AFAIK
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cap the end of the hoses going into the thermostat??
Not ordinarily - but you won't have to empty much to get to a safe level, just far enough that there's none left in the reservior. The Radiator should have a drain plug to aid this.
Drain into a washing up bowl then sieve back in when you're done with an old hankerchief.
Make sure you clean all the old gasket off. A stanley knife blade helps.
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Thread drift -sorry! Would fitting the wrong thermostat, when there is a difference of 3C in the spec (89C or 92C) make a vital difference or damage the engine n any way?
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As with anything, check the spec if you are buying away from a dealer.
The old pyrex jug and thermometer trick still works - I've seen a lot of duff thermostats bought 'cheap' at our local motor factors.
For the difference of a few quid, it is worth going OE on this, but a check wouldn't go amiss.
Also, a radiator flush and a good blast through with a hose won't go amiss, especailly as you'll be disconnecting stuff anyway. Shove an old blanket over the bonnet and across the radiator front to get thing up to heat while the coolant circulates.
And have some radiator sealant at hand in case the flush works TOO well, and one of the scabby bits is actually covering a hole!
AND ensure you have the right ratio of Antifreeze and water when you refill, and keep a litre of the mixed AF and water stuff in the boot afterwards, in case you need it to top up in the next week or so.
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I think i am a bit late for your problem as it seems to have been solved, but after 40+ years of non-professional "tinkering" with cars, maybe i could add something ..
Keep in touch with this forum - after all this time, (and having changed a few thermostats on the way), i have learnt something new by reading the replies from your thread, and based on my own experiences, there is some good advice, both here and in the tech section.
Buy a Haynes workshop manual (no connection), you may be surprised at how much you can do yourself, and therefore save yourself £'s . Even if you do decide that you need a professional to do the work, you can guage whether you are being quoted fairly.
Buy the best tools you can afford, and upgrade later if necessary.
Don't dismiss the main dealer when you are looking for parts, nowadays they are often competitive on price, and you will get the right "bit". The "high street" is learning that it must be competitive with the internet.
Most of all, don't be afraid to "have a go", I once successfully changed a gearbox in my lunch hour, on my own, in the carpark at work, using the manual and the confidence of 22 years of age ! (impressed the co-workers, i can tell you ! !)
Good luck ... Stan
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88 or 92 on the majority of cars won't make a significant difference-92 is usually fitted to cars using Northern Europe specification along with smaller rad and bigger heater matrix-88 used for Southern Europe with bigger rad and smaller heater matrix.The UK being a small RHD market tends to get whatever they have plenty of at the time.
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Makes a difference on where the needle sits on temp dial.
- Which may or may not be annoying...
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Best not to use the radiator bleed valve - they have a habit of breaking which can mean a new rad.
Easier to loosen the bottom hose for drainage purposes.
As another poster has said, airlocks shouldn't be a problem, just put the heater on hot, runthe engine with the rad cap off and top up.
You can make a perfectly good gasket from a cereal packet.
I once did an "on the road" gasket repair for a relative using a piece of string - it lasted until she sold the car and probably for years after that.
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