That's just my type of luck...

Infinitrium · Post by **Infinitrium** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 11:53 am

Now I have even more trouble. I think I have a cracked head now! It just overheats constantly, even if it sits overnight (in a parking lot) and I start it up and go, it'll start to overheat within 15 minutes or so, and that's even with the radiator fan wired directly to the battery and the heater on full. The car is about an hour away from home and I don't know how I'm going to get it home.

bscutt · Post by **bscutt** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 11:58 am

check to see if the radiator is getting hot. we went through this with one of the Corrados and it turned out to be a thermostat sticking closed.

Removed the thermostat while waiting for a new one and it works perfectly in this warm weather.

Infinitrium · Post by **Infinitrium** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 12:11 pm

Where's the thermostat on the 1.6 TD?

bvolks · Post by **bvolks** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 12:35 pm

Under a cover at the bottom of the waterpump housing. The cover is held on by 2 10 mm bolts that break off very easily. I have better luck getting them out if I warm the car up first but then you have to be extra careful of the warm/ hot antifreeze. I have to change mine before winter and I think the power steering pump is going to have to come off to get at it.

libbybapa · Post by **libbybapa** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 2:33 pm

Is it boiling over?

Andrew

Infinitrium · Post by **Infinitrium** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 2:46 pm

More or less constantly boiling over. It seems the temp gauge will go up to about 205 F (roughly) and not really go any higher, or lower. The heat from the heater will get lower over time too.

82vdub · Post by **82vdub** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 2:58 pm

If the temp gauge goes to normal and beyond really quickly, that's a sign of a cracked head etc. If it takes 15 minutes, it's likely something else. Don't drive it enough to where you DO crack the head. My vote is for the thermostat or plugged hose/radiator. Something along those lines.

Infinitrium · Post by **Infinitrium** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 3:26 pm

It would act normally for a while then the gauge would just shoot right up to over 210 in seconds. The bottom hose was cool to the touch even when the temp gauge was over 190. Then the top hose would do that too.

Quantum-man · Post by **Quantum-man** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 3:47 pm

If you have a crack then you will either loose coolant and get no pressure under cap, or if its bridging across from cylinder then it will pressurise in seconds. Which do you have?
Otherwise maybe you have a stuck thermostat only.
Mark

82vdub · Post by **82vdub** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 3:47 pm

Sounds to me like the thermostat is not allowing coolant to flow. You need to spend time under the hood and do some testing to determine what the problem is.

Infinitrium · Post by **Infinitrium** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 4:05 pm

When I open the cap, I don't hear any pressure escaping. Everything seems to work fine when idling but not very long after accelerating up to speed, the temp gauge will shoot right up. It also seems to push a lot of water out of the coolant bottle.

Quantum-man · Post by **Quantum-man** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 4:40 pm

Coolant becoming dirty? Smelly? No? &No?
Try a different cap, of if you don't have one, take it apart and clean crud out from behind valves

Infinitrium · Post by **Infinitrium** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 5:04 pm

I flushed the cooling system about 2 weeks ago, and put new coolant plus Water Wetter in it. I kept losing coolant somewhere and was topping back up with plain water. How do you clean the valves on the cap?

Quantum-man · Post by **Quantum-man** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 5:33 pm

Infinitrium wrote:I flushed the cooling system about 2 weeks ago, and put new coolant plus Water Wetter in it. I kept losing coolant somewhere and was topping back up with plain water. How do you clean the valves on the cap?

If it's the type with the two visible valves, then carefully pick out the rubber seal and the valve plate will drop out . I've seen crud that is probably akin to reformed limestone in there....

Infinitrium · Post by **Infinitrium** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 8:21 pm

Rubber seal...? Mine doesn't have a seal of any type.