16v Overheating

[jettaTx]

MY MK2 16V JETTA IS FINE ON A RUN BUT AS SOON AS IN TRAFFIC THE TEMP GAUGE INCREASES INSTANTLY. THE FAN WORKS OKAY AND IS COOL ON A RUN. WHAT COULD MY PROBLEM BE?

[mjamoose]

Not really an issue unless the gauge goes through the roof! 
As a suggestuion though, try flushing the rad, engine and heater matrix and refilling with a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water.
When I changed the head gasket in my engine I ran the car on plain water for about a month, the temperature fluctuations were quite drastic but nothing to worry about.
As soon as I put antifreeze in (after flushing the engine etc..) the guage now happily sits in the middle of the range and only really decreases to about 1/4 when driving down the motorway.

[jettaTx]

Good idea i will check the coolant level in the resevior on dinner.

[Redbaron]

thats normal mate.

16v has the smallest radiator out of the golfs.

figure 

[rubjonny]

It is the same physical size as the 1.6 Driver radiator, but is double cored so more efficient than an 8v rad

[Neaty]

my valver used to do the same the gage would go to 2 3rds of the way up and the oil temp would be about 105 degrees wich concerned me at first but it never really got out of hand! i would agree with the 50/50 water anti-freeze idea