'97 16v Polo overheating

[niall9311]

Hi all,

My Polo has been off the road for sometime and now that i'm wanting to run it again there are numerous faults to fix!

The latest problem is that the car overheats and loses all its' water on even the shortest of journeys.

What are the likely causes - the water doesnt leak out when the car is standing still and i can't hear the fan kicking in when it gets warm but surely that wouldnt need to come on if i'm only going a few miles??

Any help much appreciated.

Cheers, Niall.

[Crasher]

Usually the thermostat cover fails in the centre where the thermostat reacts against.

[niall9311]

Top tip, tks again Crasher. I removed the hosuing to find the bridge had indeed broken and i've now got a replacement part from VW, although it has a slightly different part no. as the orginal one is NLA, presumably because the new version is a better one. Cheers, Niall.

[niall9311]

Another question on this i'm afraid Crasher/anyone else that knows - i've gone to fit the new thermostat housing, which i (stupidly) thought was a simple case of locating the thermostat and then, with the pin on it correctly located in the hole in the centre of housing, securing the latter with the two screw bolts.

However, i go to do it and find the thermostat protrudes out a long way and the housing comes nowhere near the holes for the fixing screws, which are quite short.

Does the thermostat need to be compressed a lot when fitting the housing or am i missing something??

Niall.

[Crasher]

It is tricky to get this to go back together on the car. You have to get the pin in the location and push the housing down to get the screws in. I often fit a complete new housing assembly as it is easier.

[niall9311]

OK cheers Crasher (doh), looks like i'll have to get someone to compress the bl**dy thing while i put the screws in. Tks again. Niall.

[niall9311]

OK so me and a mate have a go at bolting the new thermostat cover on and manage to strip the thread on one of the screws even though we were trying not to - grr!!

So the whole housing is gonna need to be replaced as you suggested and i've made a start on this - I've got everything undone from the battery side of the housing and it is now free from the engine but it's being held in place by a hose? that goes underneath the manifold.

How do i get this undone?

Niall.
PS Fingers X i don't have to take the entire manifold off to do it!!

[Crasher]

Pull out the plastic clip and the housing comes off, hold onto the pipe though as you can pull it out of the black at the back of the pump and cause a leak.

[niall9311]

OK tks Crasher, not sure what you mean by plastic clip but i'll have another look once it stops raining.
Cheers, Niall.
PS In sussing out what was still holding the housing on, i did give the pipe a bit of a yank or two but fingers X this didnt pull it free from the pump.

[niall9311]

Rain stopped for 5 just now so i had a look for that 'plastic clip' you mentioned but the only thing i could see was at the back of the housing there appeared to be a collar withsmall square/oblong button in the top of it.

However, it's almost impossible to get to being hidden away underneath the manifold. Is that what and if so what do i have to do to get it undone or am i looking in the wrong place?

Niall.

[Crasher]

Sounds like the clip.

[niall9311]

Ok but how does it come undone - do you use a screw driver to push the little buttony thing down/to the left??

[Crasher]

It slides out.

[niall9311]

It does indeed thanks although it aint the easiest thing to spot or to put back! Anyway, tis done now - complete new thermostat housing fitted and engine temp behaving itself, for now at least. Tks for your help.