Cooling Help required

[bmseven]

Hi All
Sorry about the lengthy first post but my A4 is confusing the hell out of me.

Its a 2000 facelift 1.8 (Non Turbo) not had it long and it runs great or it did!!
It's always run cool about a 1/4 up the guage so I thought OK finished work for a few days so will change the thermostat no big deal......Yeah right. Then the problem(s) started replaced it and the new one did not open temperature was running at about 3/4 105 ish on the gauge (Eurospares stat I know, I read the posts about genuine VAG) they duly replaced it with another and guess what, that one never opened either. So today off to GSF and a quality german stat fitted and same scenario.
Bled from the heater hose to remove any air but whilst the guage reads high the rad or top bottom hoses never seem to get warm. I cannot say for sure they did before I started this job but the fact it ran cool and now seems to run to hot has me baffled. Even to the point of is/was the thermostat in the wrong way round. There is water behind the thermostat because it flows from the drain plug if I loosen it and it always runs down my arm when I take the stat out (which I am getting pretty damn quick at doing now)

So if anyone can tell me which way the water is flowing around the system or am I missing a vital point somewhere as I cant see the wood for the trees

Answers on a postcard

Thanks in Anticipation
Tony

 

[Bradderz_1988]

I'd get a Genuine stat there only £20 or so and try that to rule the stat out you could boil the kettle and put the stat in a jug and see if it opens.

Have you checked to see wether the water pump is all intact ie the blades haven't sheared off ???

Also check through the climate control to see whether your temp is correct to what is displayed unfortunatly I can't say how to do this but I'm sure someone here will point you in the right direction.

 

[bmseven]

Morning and Merry Xmas!!!
So I thought I would go and have another look today as it's only xmas day and all the neighbours are out.

Removed and checked the thermostat is fine and opening - ALL OK
Flushed rad, block etc no crud and clean flowing water - ALL OK
Refilled and bled system usin bleed hole and lifting expansion bottle up - ALL OK
Sat idling for 10 mins or so - ALL OK

Took it for a quick drive and up the temp goes, bottom hose is still cold so I am guessing the water pumps just not moving enough water around?

 

[aragorn]

Does sound a bit like a broken waterpump.

Might be worth checking the waterpump belt is still there too!

 

[bmseven]

Yep water pump belt present and correct, its never had an aircon belt!

 

[a3tdi2001]

The water flows in through the top of the radiator and out of the bottom hose. When I bled and refilled the system on my A3 I had the same symptom of a cold bottom hose which turned out to be an airlock in the radiator/bottom hose part of the system. It was cured by gently slipping the bottom hose away from the thermostat housing to let the air escape whilst the engine was running.

 

[murran]

what engine code is it adr?

this has to be a air lock somewhere. leave the expansion tank cap on..... the pipe thru the baulkhead that has the air bleed hole in it, pull it off the heater pipe and back fill it til water comes out of the pipe coming out of the baulkhead. refit it leaving the bleed hole exposed. remove expan. tank cap and top up. start car off and have it fast idling (brick on the accelarator) at 2500 rpm. once water is squirting from the bleed hole shove it back on.
if you have vagcom plug it in to acuratley read the engine temp as the dash guage is sh1t.

 

[Bradderz_1988]

Also check the degassing pipe is throwing coolant back to the header tank if not then id be checking the water pump, When bleeding these I've never had to open a bleed valve I just leave the cap off and hold the revs up at the throttle body checking that coolant is flowing back to the header tank and that all the pipes are getting warm and leave the heater motor off to allow it to warm up quicker.

 

[bmseven]

Doesnt appear to be any water flow and header tank water is also cold so off to get a new pump when they open on wednesday

 

[bmseven]

OK picked up water pump today.
Does anyone know of a guide anywhere for the non - turbo engine?
Do I need to remove the alternator and the PAS pump?