overheating

[Sugar79]

My god damn car overheated yesterday on the way back from southend, took over 5 hours to travel 30miles!!!!
I had to keep pulling over every 2 miles and letting the engine cool down.

RAC wouldn't tow me home the C*nts, they said i have low water flow and something about fluctuating pressure???

I have no heat coming from the matrix so i was freezing trying to get home last night.

My Boyfriend recons that it sounds like a airblock, as it was making bubbly noises from the back of the engine.

I never let the temp get into the red and i didn't have steam blowing out the engine, even when we undone the header tank you could hear the pressure release and the water was hot but not steaming.

So it could either be
*an airlock (don't know how as the cooling system has never been touched)
*Thermostat
*or my water pump (did have a cambelt change 2 weeks ago)

Anyone had similar problems and could shed some light on the matter for me, i would be most gratefull.

[topher]

whenever anyone mentions the word "overheating" in relation to mk4's .. my first thought is always the waterpump .. which is why i always tell people to have it changed while the cambelt is being done (easy access)

im not very familiar with your engine layout so dunno how easy/difficult getting to the pump is .. but your car is at the age now where the plastic impellors in the pump start to go brittle and break off. you can order a pump with metal impellors from vw ... let us know how you get on !

[Sugar79]

You recon its the water pump topher??

Are they expensive to buy? 

[topher]

not really.. 20/30 notes from memory ... its the labour that'll sting, there's lots of crap to move out of the way to gain access

[Sugar79]

only £30 

God damn, sods law that this would happen after the cambelt was fitted 

[Sugar79]

Right, had a guy round with a diagnostic machine, he said i have air in my cooling system!! how the f*ck did that happen?? did the garage mess with the header tank when changing my cambelt?? anyway he bled the air out said everything was fine with that, left... so i thought ah lets take it for a drive, and sure enough it starts overheating again. lifting the bonnet you can hear "gluggling" noises as if there is still air trapped in there... iam worried i have a blown head gasket 

Also i need a new lambda sensor, and some fuel pressure thingy, he showed me what it looks like, its very small, but thats why my car is overfueling and throwing soot out the back. 

[topher]

get the guy back round and throw a wobbly at him, make him bleed it again (if thats what it is, i still reckon waterpump) what makes you think head gasket ? do you have water in your oil ? pull the dipstick and make sure its not got grey sh!te on the end of it.

if he's talking about the FPR (fuel pressure regulator) then they're not too expensive.. stu at eurocarparts should be able to sort you out.. but im pretty sure you cant tell from diagnostics if its the FPR .. and to be honest from what you've told us already about this guy i wouldn't take his word for anything

[Sugar79]

No Topher,  i havent got water in the oil or oil in the water, they are both clear, wondering if it is the head gasket if it has blown letting in air in the water.

I have to sit and wait for the guy to get back to the office (5.30) to phone me *sigh*

Yeah  FPR is the gagget i need