My temp gauge maxes out and blinks even when the engine is still cold, and the car won't start when it gets below forty degrees outside. I don't know if these things are related or not. It's an 86 Golf. The gauge seemed to work fine when it was warm outside, and after the car runs for a while it corrects itself and reads at the normal operating temp. The glow plugs are good, I think the fuel lines and injectors are fine. There's a little white smoke when trying to start but not a cloud or anything that bad. I don't get much heat out of the blowers either. My Bentley says something about a sending unit that could be screwed up, but then doesn't say anything about what it is or how to replace it. Winter's coming, and I just got a job, so I need this little #&*@! to start dependably. Any suggestions?
how's the coolant level? maybe you have a hg leak?
coolant level's fine, that's not it.
Might be the temperature sensor. When they go bad, they read hot. I just had to change one on my '79.
The sensor is probably located in the spigot on the driver side of the head that the heater hose goes to.
Probably a fault temp sensor or a bad wire.
as for your heat problem you may need a new thermostat.