If anyone is going to be replacing your thermostat anytime soon don't
buy an AutoZone one, they're crap.  I recently bought an 88 VW Fox which
needed a new water pump, among other things.  So I replaced the pump and
the thermostat.  I bought a cheep $4 thermostat from AutoZone (which was
for a VW Fox 1.8), I figued they're all the same.  Well after the warm
weather this week, around 95 degrees F my Fox was almost to the point of
overheating.  I checked everything and it was ok.  Hoping it wasn't a
cloged raditaor I replaced the thermo with a German one ($17) from a
local VW shop (there aren't any dealers anywhere near me).  the first
thing I noticed it the opening on the AutoZone thermo was about the size
of a nickel while the German one was about the size of a half dollar.  I
checked the AutoZone one, it wouldn't open until a much higher temp than
the German one.  I didn't have a thermometer, but the water I was
testing it in was almost boiling so I'm guessing the Autozone opened
around 210-220 deg F while the German one opened much sooner.  The Fox
now runs around the LED on the temp gauge insted of almost to the top.
Well I guess I learned my lesson, I just wish I would have done it on my
Vanagon (which has a VW thermostat), It's much easier to change.

Dave
dave@v-dub.musa.com
87 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg (129k) resting until engine rebuild
88 Fox GL (143k) now much happier and cooler

http://v-dub.musa.com