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Engine Specific Info and Questions => IDI Engine => Topic started by: chrissev on December 08, 2004, 05:09:42 pm

Title: weird cooling system problem III, keeps getting weirder
Post by: chrissev on December 08, 2004, 05:09:42 pm

Well it appears I have unintentionally fixed my cooling system problem. After running the car to see if it would overheat after replacing the thermostat and coolant, and after the gauge again indicated that the car was overheating (flashing red light, gauge pushing the white line at the top), my main ground connection to the transmission from the battery melted down and caught fire.  I regrounded it elsewhere on the transmission and took the car for its first drive tonight.  The coolant temperature gauge never went past the middle no matter how hard I drove it.  So it appears I have fixed the problem.  A bad ground connection can make the coolant light flash.  Only on a volkswagen....

Title: Re: weird cooling system problem III, keeps getting weirder
Post by: kooloo on December 09, 2004, 04:54:07 am

Quote from: "chrissev"

Only on a volkswagen....

 :lol:  :lol:

Weird but it's good to know that a bad ground connection can make the coolant light flash!

Title: weird cooling system problem III, keeps getting weirder
Post by: jtanguay on December 12, 2004, 02:20:44 am

my coolant light came on too!  so I added coolant and it went away.  I love when things go smoooothly!!!

Title: weird cooling system problem III, keeps getting weirder
Post by: chrissev on December 13, 2004, 12:27:11 pm

Quote from: "jtanguay"

my coolant light came on too!  so I added coolant and it went away.  I love when things go smoooothly!!!

yeah, I found that out too.  There's a water level sensor in the coolant expansion tank that makes the light flash if the coolant is low.  You don't get a lot of room for playing around since the feelers don't go into the tank very far.

Title: weird cooling system problem III, keeps getting weirder
Post by: srivett on December 13, 2004, 04:07:49 pm

Don't forget that means you have a leak somewhere.  

"It leaked and it leaked and it leaked but right before I decided to fix it the leak stopped"  :D  

Steve

Title: weird cooling system problem III, keeps getting weirder
Post by: jtanguay on December 14, 2004, 12:43:16 am

could have a leak... definitely a possibility... maybe ill try the old swedish trick of putting mustard powder with the anti freeze :) worked for me on my golf 1.8  hehe

Title: weird cooling system problem III, keeps getting weirder
Post by: 89VWdieselGolf on December 14, 2004, 07:35:10 am

speaking of coolant leaks... i thought mine leaking around the thermostat housing. turns out its the head gasket :( ......steam billows out of the hood after i drive it hard....time to ease up until i get it fixed i guess

Jeff

Title: weird cooling system problem III, keeps getting weirder
Post by: jtanguay on December 14, 2004, 04:35:32 pm

ouch head gasket leaks are no fun :(

Title: weird cooling system problem III, keeps getting weirder
Post by: srivett on December 14, 2004, 04:53:05 pm

The head gasket isn't that big of a deal if you needed to do the timing belt already.  My cars last mechanic always did them together. :)  A leaking coolant flange will look just like a head gasket leak and they are a common problem.  Mine were dribbling down onto the head gasket where the coolant begins to flow sideways.

Steve