My 1996 A4 is slowly losing coolant in the engine bay, and the various front end hoses connecting the thermostat, the water pipe, the oil cooler, and the expansion tank seem soft and mushy, so I need to change them, anyway. (Radiator hoses, thermostat, and water pump are about 2 years old, from when my son and I did the timing belt and power steering pump.) I have identified five hoses, and I need someone to check me on these before I order them. It would be great to hear from a fellow 1996 A4 owner who has been there ... done that. Thanks much!

Thermostat to transverse water pipe in front of engine -- have only Parts Geek number W0133-1642782
Does anyone have a VAG number?

Thermostat to water pipe (is this a different water pipe?) -- Parts Geek W0133-1734801

Oil cooler hoses, per ECS Tuning: 078121058J, 078121096H

Expansion tank to transverse water pipe: 8D0121109M -- $85(ouch!)

As usual, Bentley is of only limited assistance on this.

 

I can't be of much specific help, but I have found OEM Audi Parts & Accessories at Jim Ellis Audi is a great resource for finding parts (and purchasing them if you like). They aren't ALL for sale, but there's diagrams of nearly every auto part and the list of their names and more details.

Good luck!

 

Hi John, Dave from Fallbrook here (AKA ylwagon). I changed just about all that stuff a few years back, when doing the TB job. With the front end moved out, the "oil cooler" access it pretty good. I don't remember where all the hoses came from, but autohausaz has a good portion of the formed hoses required. The heater hoses from them included the quick-connect fitting on the engine-end; on my '96 there are clamps both ends, so I had to cut an aluminum crimp clamp to take the quick connect off. ECS Tuning is another source for cooling system hoses.

On another matter, I may be selling my A4 to a guy here at work, for his son. He knows it has 260+ thousand miles but doesn't care. I'm planning on picking up my Daughter's B6, 3.0 A4 Quattro. That's because she just bought a beauty; a black A5 2.0T with tan leather.