Whato chaps - Bandits at 3'O Clock - Kit Kats at 4
Cheers dom
So... Looking on Gumtree for VAG COM, I comes across this advert saying guy is willing to travel 20 miles and scan your car for £15 - hell yeah - come and do it!
An hour later he's plugged in to the GTI, reads the codes and guess what pops up "Temp Sensor Fault"
He then cleared the codes and scanned again - same fault comes up - hurrah!
So I'm into the engine bay like a man possessed, finds the troublesome sensor and removed it for inspection (
REMEMBERING TO RELEASE THE PRESSURE AT THE HEADER TANK AND REPLACING THE LID TO CREATE A PARTIAL VACUUM AND REDUCE LOSS OF COOLANT AND PREVENT SCALDING!!!)
There is a sensible side. Plug looked fine, gave wring loom a wriggle, made sure the rubber washer hadn't escaped with the fluid and replaced sensor.
No leaks and starts first time, every time... But I'm still gonna replace it with a 'Green' one (see fleebay) cost £14.99 UK free postage.
Epilogue. WTF... advancement in technology - my fat hairy arse!!! When a temperature sender unit can stop your engine from starting... PAH... VW I wave my parts in your general direction!

To all that replied... I thank you from the heart of my bottom - oops - reverse that - Thanks a lot lads, happy GTIing. Rob.