Very strange heating!

[Godzilla]

My girlfriends 1.6 Driver chucks out the heat from the fan when on idle, but when moving it goes slightly colder? Also when moving the temp gauge drops to its resting place (as if the car is turned off) On idle it moves very very slowly into the first 1/4 of the gauge but no more, even if at a standstill in traffic for 40 mins!? Anyone else suffered from this as my GTI 16v is fine, nice and snug when driving or on idle! Ive checked the temp sender and its not that?

[Horney]

Sounds like the thermostat is stuck open. DOe sit take ages for the heaters to get warm in the morning?

Nick

[Godzilla]

Indeed it does Nick. Must take a good 10 mins before hot air comes through. Where is the thermostat on a MK2 Driver?

[russ-vdub]

maybe also give the whole water system a good flush out with a hose as well as the therostat replacement..grab a haynes manual, you'll need that to replace the stat anyways i should think

[Godzilla]

I gave it a good flush yesterday to try and solve the problem using 50/50 mix. Ive lost my Haynes    Will go and see if I can work out where the Thermo lives!

[JimR]

On my 1.8 its a case of follow the bottom rad hose to an elbow joint bolted to the bottom of the block, thermo lives in there which is annoying since you have to drain the system to change it. Not sure if the 1.6 is the same.

[rubjonny]

yeah 1.6 is actually a 1.8 block with different internals, so yeah its in the same place