RS6 Thermostat - is VAG dealer p*ssing up my back?

[ClaphamGT3]

One for the PH massif.

Mrs Clapham's MkI RS6 Avant overheated on Saturday. Recovered to a VAG dealer who have diagnosed a faulty thermostat - with which I would agree from the symptoms. Now, the issue is that the VAG dealer reckons that it is a 10-hour job to replace the thermostat on a Mk1 RS6!!

This seems an awful lot of time to me so my question to other owners or any VAG bods on here is whether this is reasonable or whether I'm having the back of my shirt dampened?

[ClaphamGT3]

Tame Technician said:

I would have said 6-7 hours + diagnosis.

Its on the front of the cylinder head, but behind the cambelt you see. The cambelt time is 6.3hrs so add say 0.75 to change the stat and that's bang on the money with no piss taking and no time for diagnosis.

If it wasnt done recently would strongly recommend cambelt change at the same time, saves 6.3hrs of labour when its actually due.

Hi

Thanks - good to know that I'm not having my leg lifted. The dealership also made the point about the cam-belt which seems like a no-brainer to me.

[ClaphamGT3]

grizz said:

They are talking st .......Why can i do a full belt change inc water pump + stat in a morning .....

Interesting.....

Also, out of interest, car ran marginally hot (just over the 90 mark, fans running) at 15 - 20mph but, when I accelerated to 45 - 50mph it heated up to the point the red warning light came on. Hasn't lost any coolant. Your view on the problem?