Leaky thermostat housing - which part do I need?

[antera309 3]

I've got a coolant leak which is definitely coming from the thermostat area. I'm told that leaks here are common on VR6s.

But which part do I actually need to replace? The thermostat housing is actually in 3 parts (not including the sensors and the thermostat itself) Do I need all 3 parts?

[richievr 1]

i had the same with mine - i couldn't tell which piece was leaking even when i removed it from the engine....

i ended up replacing all of it!!!!!

probably for the best - i didn't fancy doing that job twice!!!

[kilokilla 0]

the most common piece for failing is the bit that bolts directly to the block mate.

[jsh712p 0]

I recently had this.

I bought new seals - but when I got the thing apart the actual plastic of the main housing section had failed.

So I actually needed the main thermo housing. My local VW had it in stock for about £22 or so - if yours looks suspect then replace.

Also - its probably worth replacing the thermostat while you are in there - this actually stuck shut on line and caused overheating - for a £5 part its north worth stripping all that out again.

Do a search on Google for vr6 thermostat housing image - there is a good website with pics and description etc.

Good luck, and remember to replace the coolant with the type already in there - G11 if its blue, and G12 if its red.