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96 Volkswagen Golf overheating
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juniorinky
User
Mar 9, 2013, 10:23 PM
Post #1 of 10
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96 Volkswagen Golf overheating
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bought a used 96 golf. it runs about 230 degrees. I put a new thermostat in an a new water pump. I flushed the heater core and the radiator out. I hope The fans up say they run all the time just to see if this would help. I bought a new temperature sender unit and it still reach 230 degrees. it will sit and idle perfect and it runs great but it just reads a little high especially with the fans running all the time now. I thought maybe it might be a head gasket. it did get a little warm and it ran up to about 235. I'm going to check the compression on it tonight. if I take the cap off the overflow tank it will bubble up over
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MarineGrunt
Enthusiast
Mar 9, 2013, 10:39 PM
Post #2 of 10
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Re: 96 Volkswagen Golf overheating
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First thing you should do is probably pressure test the cooling system and check for leaks.
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Sidom
Veteran
/ Moderator
Mar 9, 2013, 10:51 PM
Post #3 of 10
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Re: 96 Volkswagen Golf overheating
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How are you seeing that it's running at 230? If you are going by the gauge in the dash then it would be best to see what the temp the comp temp sensor is reading...These systems will run in the 220 range so 230 isn't that far out....if the dash gauge is slightly skewed that could account for a high reading...
Before you rigged up the cooling fans, were they coming on & going off by themselves?
Have you been having to add any coolant?
These systems need pressure on them to raise the boiling point so running it with the cap off can cause some problems in itself...
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juniorinky
User
Mar 9, 2013, 11:17 PM
Post #4 of 10
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Re: 96 Volkswagen Golf overheating
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That was one of the things I first thought that maybe the guage was off.I installed a new sending unit and the fans did come on and off by themselves.I just temporarily rigged them to see if the temp would go down with them on constant but it doesnt. with the fans running I would think that the temperature would be quite a bit lower than 230. the car runs great and idles great it just stays at 230.I thought maybe it could be a head gasket.
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Sidom
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/ Moderator
Mar 9, 2013, 11:29 PM
Post #5 of 10
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Re: 96 Volkswagen Golf overheating
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It is possible that something is going on, I would have to find the exact specs on a VW but take a GM. The fans will come on around 225 and run until around the 210 mark and then turn off....If there was a problem with that system that kept the temp up, the fans would run constantly..
The fact yours were turning off sounds like comp was seeing normal conditions..
Head gaskets, even in their early stages usually show some other signs than just a high temp.....Some are using small amounts of coolant on a regular basis, running rough for a few minutes on cold start up, the heater intermittently losing heat & blowing cold...
A bad sending unit could definitely cause a bad reading on your gauge but it's not the only thing, theres wires & the gauge itself..
It's not going to hurt anything to check the other stuff but I would really want to look at a datastream and see what the comp is seeing...
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Mar 10, 2013, 8:01 AM
Post #6 of 10
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Re: 96 Volkswagen Golf overheating
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Oroginal poster: NEVER TAKE A PRESSURE CAP OFF OF COOLING SYSTEM WHEN ITS EVEN A WARM ENGINE - YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW HOW MUCH PRESSURE IS IN THERE OR IS RELIEVING IT WILL CAUSE SUDDEN BOILING IN YOUR FACE AND THEN OFF FOR SKIN GRAFTS! I DON'T CARE IF THE CAR BLOWS UP DON'T DO THAT!
Do you think you really have a problem at all? Already said the dash gauge isn't necessarily that accurate. With electric fan cooled radiators there will be some minor fluctuation in temps - then fan(s) come on and then that's the temp it can do.
Hot wiring it you took a chance at messing things up. They either do or don't come on by themselves and while driving along most will not be needed - some are. If you have A/C and or using defrost many fans just stay on - can't know each design.
If you really want to know actual temps you need an infrared thermometer taken right at thermostat and it should be real close to the thermostat's rating and use only the one temp, proper thermostat the car calls for. Many are going to be 195F but can't speak for all.
Maybe I misread something but you need accurate info before you just go jumping to conclusions. My first point was the point. Pressure will prevent coolant from boiling by near exactly 3 degrees F per lb rating of the pressure cap. Fun facts. That is, a 15lb pressure cap the coolant will not boil until 45 degrees higher than the boiling point at your altitude too which counts. Releasing it when forced in liquid state it will instantly flash boil the danger of which is likely plastered all over the place underhood! Careful first,
T
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juniorinky
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Mar 10, 2013, 4:05 PM
Post #7 of 10
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Re: 96 Volkswagen Golf overheating
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I am wondering if I do have a problem or maybe paranoid.I just think 230 is too high especially when fans are always on and my thermostat is 195.Coming home last nite it got a lot hotter than 230.I tried to burp the system this morning to expel the air and noticed the lowet rad hose was at best luke warm.All others were real hot.My son is taking the rad out now so I will do a better job flushing it after work.
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Sidom
Veteran
/ Moderator
Mar 10, 2013, 4:33 PM
Post #8 of 10
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Re: 96 Volkswagen Golf overheating
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If the passage ways in the radiator get restricted then no amout of flushing will clear those.
When you 1st start losing passages, it's more noticable when the engine is under load.....higher speeds...going up hill...running the a/c...Thats when it needs 100% of the cooling area & if only 80% is there, then it will run hotter..
If you have a infra-red thermometer, you can check all the areas of the radiator for cool spots....If there are areas that are "cold", that would indiate that coolant isn't flowing thru them due to a restricted passage way
Of course if the radiator is doing it's job then the outlet hose will be cooler than the inlet hose....If both hose were the same temp....then that would be a problem...
You said in an earlier post that the fans were coming on & going off by themselves & only stayed on after you rigged them to.......
Has something changed since then?
I can't say for sure is you do or don't have a problem.....The 1st step would be to moniter the coolant via the comp....at idle & cruise....
Using a dash gauge to diag cooling problems can lead you down blind alleys......Been there done that
(This post was edited by Sidom on Mar 10, 2013, 4:34 PM)
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juniorinky
User
Mar 14, 2013, 9:55 PM
Post #9 of 10
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Re: 96 Volkswagen Golf overheating
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Fixed my overheating problem and wanted to post to let others know if they have a problem like mine.Replaced the head gasket and solved the overheating issue.Wired the fans back to normal and now we are back to normal.Didnt see anything out of the ordinary but it was pretty nasty but all cleaned up and running great.Thanks for everyones help.
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Mar 15, 2013, 3:08 AM
Post #10 of 10
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Re: 96 Volkswagen Golf overheating
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The blown head gasket is not a surprise but something else may have caused that head gasket to blow in the first place. Unless you know what the trigger of the original overheating was you may still have an underlying issue in the cooling system that will need to be addressed to prevent it from happening again.
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