Thermostat Replacement DIY

Having some weird issues with the temperature gauge (going back and forth from cold till middle) I decided to change the thermostat. I had coolant leaking from the thermostat housing too, so it was a good idea anyway.

T-stat to be replaced.

Bleed screw for proper coolant system venting

Remove 3 push-lock pins to remove air intake

Remove T20 bolt, 2 plugs shown here and push/lock pin on opposite side to remove fan.

Connection was very tight and I was afraid that I would break something

New thermostat

Spraying some good amount of WD-40 to break loose the connections

With a flathead screwdriver, pry the metal release tab upwards for both hoses

Thermostat plug release spring needs to be pushed down to release connector

To remove the thermostat: Remove the 11mm nut that holds the engine hoist bracket, remove the 13mm bolt of the lower part of engine hoist bracket, and the 3x10mm bolts that hold the thermostat on the block.

Have some rags below the thermostat as coolant (around 1.5L) will be spilled. You don't want coolant on the engine belt. It's oily and can make the belt slip. There were marks of there the coolant was leaking which I thoroughly cleaned before proceeding.

Old thermostat with messed seal

Aparently the plug was messed too, rust, coolant, dust particles and one wire which was barely making contact. As I further pulled the connector the wire was cut.

To prevent future coolant leaks, I applied some high temp RTV silicone sealant as per application instructions.

Used OEM coolant. Nitrite Free

Assembly is just the opposite process, not difficult, took me total of 2 hours.