'99 2.5TDI Quattro - Overheating??

[jonnycraig]

Hi all,

Problem arose over the past few days, both my water temp and oil temp have not really ever registered anything rarely rising above 60oC even on a long journey, but I just see that as a steady reading. Driving home from work on Fri the water temp starts rising to what would be about 80oC so Im assuming (maybe wrongly!) that if 60 is 90ish normal temp then any rise at all is bad!!

If I put the heater on HI and full open the windows lol it goes back down to normal (or what I think is). Header fluid is ok its the pink stuff and sits just above min on cold and rises about half way when warm.

Ive searched around the forum for possible answers, ranging from a simple faulty temp sensor to the plastic impeller in the water pump shattering. The powersteering rack replacement back in Nov cost me the guts of £400 so funds are a mega prob!!

Any help what so ever would be much appreciated

Jonny

 

[Matt82]

90 is normal. it should get upto 90 on the gauge and stay there resolutely.

have you got vagcom? that will show you the water temp as the ecu sees it.

if thats the same as the gauge then its new stat time.

if there was no water pump it would have ****** a long time ago

 

[aragorn]

Sounds like a stat to me too.

Were you stuck in traffic when it started climbing by any chance?

 

[jonnycraig]

Sounds like a stat to me too.

Were you stuck in traffic when it started climbing by any chance?

No was driving along the M4, its weird, if I drive bout 50 - 55 mph with the heating on full it seems ok, speed up or go up hill it climbs, gonna start with changing the temp sender then try and get someone to put diagnostics on it.

 

[aragorn]

If its not getting to 90 then its most likely the stat mate.

 

[jonnycraig]

If its not getting to 90 then its most likely the stat mate.

Cheers Aragorn Ill see what I can find out from my mate with the Diag unit. Do you think it makes any difference in that the water temp guage has never displayed over 60 degrees ish in the 8 months Ive had the car, now suddenly it started climbing? Also if my car was overheating, how could I tell other than wait for steam and ultimate detonation!!!