Change thermostat FIAT DOBLO CARGO 2000 FIAT Doblo Cargo (223_)

Oooo, the classic “my van’s running hot (or cold) and I’m about to lose a whole weekend to bolts and coolant” challenge! Been there, spilled that (antifreeze everywhere)… Ok, let’s do it.

So, changing the thermostat in your FIAT DOBLO CARGO 2007/2000 isn’t quite like making a cup of tea, but it’s proper doable if you’re feeling brave (and don’t mind scraping knuckles). Here’s how the party goes:

First off: Make sure the engine is stone-cold. You do not want a faceful of hot coolant. Open the bonnet and...

1. Drain all the coolant – look for the radiator drain plug or just pop off the bottom rad hose, but have a big bucket ready… you don’t want your driveway turning radioactive green.
2. Disconnect and remove the battery (yes, really). Also take off the battery pad/tray so you can wiggle about more easily in the engine bay.
3. Find the thermostat housing – it’s usually bolted to the side of the engine with a hose or two connected to it. Remove the sensors and unclamp all hoses from the thermostat housing. Get ready for a bit more coolant to dribble out when the hoses come off.
4. Undo the bolts holding the thermostat housing. The whole thing usually comes off as one lump (they don’t mess about with just the thermostat on these, it’s all or nowt).
5. Clean up the surfaces where the old gasket was—it’s a good moment to look thoughtful and pretend you know what you’re doing. Then, jigsaw the new thermostat (with housing and gasket) into place.
6. Bolt everything back on, reconnect all hoses and electrical plugs, and then put the battery and tray back.
7. Time to refill that coolant—slowly, mind—so you hopefully don’t trap air in the system. Squeeze the hoses a bit to burp out bubbles like you’re doing a baby.
8. Fire up the engine and let it get to temp (cap still off for now, keep an eye on the level). Check for leaks, do a victory dance if none are found.

9. Top up coolant as needed, then replace the cap and keep an eye on the temp gauge for the next little while just in case.

Pro tips: Take a photo before you take stuff off (so you don’t end up with a spare wire/pipe and a worried look). Gloves, unless you like the “grease under every fingernail” look. And, yeah, don’t lick your fingers—antifreeze is grim.

If in doubt, there’s a bunch of YouTube videos for Doblo thermostats and other FIATs—sometimes it helps to see someone else swear their way through it first.

Good luck, may your coolant stay cool (and on the inside of the engine)! If all else fails, tell your mates you were trying to turbocharge it… they probably won’t believe you but sounds way better than “the thermostat went funny.”