Thermostat with Housing (Includes Drive Belt and Reverse Thread Bolt)

The thermostat housing is one of the most common failure points on high-mileage EA888 Gen 3 2.0T engines. Symptoms range from a P0128 fault code and slow cabin heat to full-on overheating. This INA/Schaeffler thermostat kit gives you everything needed for a complete service in one box: the thermostat with housing, the serpentine drive belt (which should be replaced any time the front of the engine is accessed), and the reverse-thread retaining bolt that trips up many first-time installers.

What's Included — and Why It Matters

• Thermostat with housing — the complete assembly; OEM-spec wax-element thermostat with correct opening temperature
• Serpentine drive belt — adjacent to the thermostat; best practice to replace during the same service
• Reverse-thread retaining bolt — loosen by turning CLOCKWISE; a common source of stripped bolts when installers don't know it's left-handed thread
• INA / Schaeffler quality — INA is a Tier 1 OEM supplier to Volkswagen AG, meaning this is the same quality as the original part

Technical Specifications

Vehicle Compatibility

⚠ Critical Installation Notes

• The retaining bolt has LEFT-HAND (reverse) thread — turn CLOCKWISE to loosen, COUNTER-CLOCKWISE to tighten. This catches many installers and causes stripped bolts.
• Drain coolant before removal; fully refill and bleed the cooling system after installation
• Run the engine to operating temperature and check for leaks before driving
• A coolant bleed procedure (using the bleed screw on the top coolant hose) is required to prevent air pockets and overheating
• Recommend replacing coolant if more than 2 years old during same service