Overheating

[AndyCorradoVR6 10]

I've had a good read through all the heating/cooling related threads on here and still can't find an answer for my problem.

 

I've recently had my fan repaired and had it fitted so I can switch it on manually, yet every morning when I get stuck in traffic she's still reaching just over 110 degrees and causing the engine temp light to flash. This often leads to me scooting down the bus lane to get some air through the grill, but I can't keep doing this everyday- it's only a matter of time before a bobby collars me!

 

Is it just the nature of the car to dislike standing traffic- I'm guessing a good ten minutes of stationary/crawling is enough to get it super hot. My mechanic said it could be the head gasket on the way out, but it's always been this way. If I put my foot down and get clear air she'll drop back down to 90. Basically I'm just after advice or piece of mind- is something on it's way out or is this commonplace?

 

(It's a 2.9 VR6 if that narrows anything) :scratch:

[carrots 1]

could be a waterpump

[floppyman 0]

+1 to water pump.

Do you have hot air inside the car? It can be thermostat, water pump, headgasket. Allways start with the easy ones

[RW1 0]

Just had similar and changed out a lazy thermostat. It was opening late but the whole movement worked in a pan of water. So for given water temp, the opening was narrower so was tending to hold hot coolant in the block.

 

The other characteristic was the radiator fan stage 1 was coming on at anything between 98'C & 110'C (Dash Gauge reading) depending which day it was driven.

 

Once fixed, runs a t 90'C +1'C all the time and the rad fan stage 1 is on at 98'C bang on each time and the water coolant is held at 90'C level on the dash gauge.

 

.

[AndyCorradoVR6 10]

Thanks for quick replys guys.

 

It just had a new thermostat fitted, at least I think it's a thermostat (a sensor that goes into the fan?!).

 

Where abouts is the water pump under the bonnet?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p5197.m570.l1312&_nkw=corrado+water+pump&_sacat=See-All-Categories

 

D'ya reckon these will be okay?

Edited November 10, 2011 by AndyCorradoVR6
Updating

[RW1 0]

It just had a new thermostat fitted, at least I think it's a thermostat (a sensor that goes into the fan?!).

 

Where abouts is the water pump under the bonnet?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p5197.m570.l1312&_nkw=corrado+water+pump&_sacat=See-All-Categories

 

D'ya reckon these will be okay?

Nope, thats the rad fan switch for stage 1 & 2. Thermostat for the engine, inside the housing just above the gearbox and below & forward of the coil pack or distributor (depending which you VR6 you have)

 

Water pump is on the engine block right side behind the alternator where the belt is. The pulley is visible just level with the end of the airbox/strut housing.

 

teirod69 is OK for that pump.

 

.

[tony_ack 0]

If you've just had a new rad fan switch fitted, why do you need a manual switch?

 

I wonder how the manual switch works... does it switch on stage 1? Or the fan on full speed? Is it overriding the rad fan switch?

 

Thermostat isn't particularly easy to get too. From my experience they tend to jam open rather than closed but I'm sure RW1 has much more experience with this in his line of work!

 

Water pump isn't a bad job, the hardest part for me was getting the old pump out of the block as it wasn't for budging at first.

 

Just a quick one on the thermostat... my water temp tends to hold at 75-80 during normal driving and then up to about 95-100 in traffic. It's just had a new water pump, new VW rad, new VW fan switch and new VW thermostat so I'm not too sure what's going on. The only thing I haven't changed are the temp senders, but I wouldn't expect them to cause the gauge to both over read and under read.