2000 1.8T Overheating

[rickroe]

Had my MK4 1.8T for a couple of weeks and been really pleased apart from the temperature gauge reading low.(Only Gets to around 75 on a normal run) Put it down to a faulty sensor which i planned on having replaced next week during the MOT.
However today for the the first time in over 9 years of owning various GTI`s i had to call the RAC having overheated whilst driving round a safari park of all places!!! It was a sunny but not hot and the traffic was stop go. Noticed the temperature gauge creep up above 95 and no sign of any cooling fans cutting in. Next thing was clouds of steam eminating from under the bonnet and then a  message on the dash board telling me to stop and check the coolant.

Let her cool down and escaped down the park ranger mud track to the car park!! RAC guy turned up an hour later and started the engine and confirmed that the fans were not operating but more worryingly the exhaust was spitting moisture and there were puffs of white smoke when gently revved.
Mumours of head gasket were uttered but after 5 minutes or so the exhaust emissions look normal. Engine oil clean and water pressurization appeared normal.

He followed me back for several miles and the car sounded and drove perfectly with engine temp back down to around the 75 degree mark. No more signs of any undue exhaust emissions.

I just hope its nothing more than just a problem with the fans albeit a likely expensive one!, but would appreciate any advise or suggestions as to what else it might be.

I guess i have been lucky in the past before had a MK3 from new for just over 5 years and only had to replace an exhaust box.

But after a couple of years driving Astra's and fords i can honestly say there is no other car i would rather own just hope this one does not let me down.

Thanks in advance

[Sugar79]

there is a common fault with the fans i think it is something to do with the fuses tho not the actuall fans themselves, some people on here know more about it than i do tho..

ive never heard about white smoke thing relating to head gasket?? most cars puff white smoke now and again and is due to condensation, speciall with this cold weather that we have at the moment and moisture dripping from the exhaust is the same thing, i see cars all the time that pull away and i see water leak from the exhaust.. cant see how he thought that it might be a head gasket 
The RAC are crap anyway, i belong with them and i wont be re-newing my membership with them either (long story) lol

[topher]

First of all, check your fuses on top of the battery. Clean them up if they're corroded, replaced them if they've blown.

After that it does sound suspiciously like the famous faulty fans (try saying that 3 times when you're drunk)

Working on the assumption that your car has climate control, your fans are supposed to work at 2 speeds, low and high. The speed is controlled by thermal resistors (one for each speed) and these resistors are prone to burning out. Being a sealed unit, VW will want to replace the whole setup, costing you around £400.

I could type for an hour about fixes and sypmtoms, but instead ill give you a link to follow containing very useful info, aswell as a cheap (£15) fix if you find it is the resistors.

http://www.uk-mkivs.net/forums/449470/ShowPost.aspx

toph.