The Great Overheating Poll - 2005!

cupralite · Feb 18, 2005

Last night, whilst driving home from work, a loud beeping woke me from the evening rush-hour tedium. I noticed the engine tempertaure gauge was reading >110 and the light was flashing. Luckily I was very near a service area, which I coasted into, and switched the engine off as soon as I could. The temperature slowly cooled as I was coasting into the service area and went back down to normal after leaving the engine off for a while. I checked the coolant level and under the car for leaks. No leaks / normal coolant level.

I then drove home through town, generally 30mph with a few stops and starts. Didn't overheat. I tested it last night by letting it idle - temperature remained normal. Took it for a little test drive slowly around the streets - no overheating. Drove it to work this morning (generally country roads / small stretch of dual carriageway but no motorways), no overheating.

After talking to a few people and searching a few threads on here, it looks like its one of the following problems:

Dodgy thermostat
blockage in the cooling system
broken water pump impeller
dodgy gauge
- someone also mentioned a damaged head-gasket

Vote now!!! (unless you have any better ideas!)

I could do with having an idea of what it could be before putting myself at the mercy of the dealership. Any suggestions will be gratefully accepted - I am a bit scared of driving any distance on the motorway just in case it happens again.....

:thumbd:

Ruddmeister · Feb 18, 2005

And the search function said

http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=43256&highlight=temperature+light

And plenty more threads :thumbup:

happy reading..........search button............^ is up there^

cupralite · Feb 18, 2005

ahhhhh 'temperature light' !!!

sorry :redface:

chriskaven · Feb 19, 2005

Might also be the fan fuse which is common. Under the bonnet on top of the battery.

CupraR-Rog · Feb 19, 2005

If it's the fan fuse on the top of the battery, it's normally a sign of more serious things... but still with the fans

The Leon has a 2-stage fan system for the cooling system - quite literally slow & fast. The 'slow' Stage 1 setting is run from a 30A fuse, which I believe (not that I've checked) is located in the dashboard. The 'fast' Stage 2 fuse is mounted on top of the battery.

What is common to happen, as what happened on my car, is for the switch controlling the stage 1 / stage 2 to burn out. This is what happened on my car. The result of that is the stage 2 fans will cut in & out quite regularly - every 20 seconds or so, to make allowances for the stage 1 fans not working (which, for 99% of the time, is all you need!). This in turn burns out the fans, causing the fuse to blow.

Common problem, simple to fix, but sometimes dealers will beat around the bush instead of just doing it... as mine did... and they soon learnt their lesson on that one!!

Kris · Feb 19, 2005

£10 says its the water pump!

your in for a nice £500 bill :thumbd:

cupralite · Feb 19, 2005

Kris said:
£10 says its the water pump!

your in for a nice £500 bill

Yeah - thanks for that!

I have been road testing this morning. I warmed up the engine and then thrashed the car up and down a stretch of dual carriageway. It took about 5 minutes before the needle started to move off the 90 mark. It doesnt overheat if you drive it sensibly. When it does start to overheat and you stop the car (engine still running) or just coast it for a bit, the temp goes back down to 90 again. After I did my little test, I checked under the bonnet with the engine still running. No sign of any movement from either fan.

I am just hoping that its only a litlle fuse thats the problem! Having said that - does the engine normally need the fan when the car is moving 80 mph into an icy gale??

Time to contact the dreaded dealership...... :thumbd:

SeanyK · Feb 19, 2005

Dont contact the dealership yet mate, check the fuses first.

cupralite · Feb 19, 2005

SeanyK said:
Dont contact the dealership yet mate, check the fuses first.

Just done that. Changed all 3, 30 amp fuses on top of the battery. Test drive. Still doing it. The thing that doesnt seem right is that each time I have looked under the bonnet, with the engine temp just under 100 degrees, neither of the fans are moving. Surely thats not right......

SeanyK · Feb 19, 2005

Starting to sound more and more like the water pump playing up then mate

slimbarry · Feb 19, 2005

I had this a couple of times with my golf iv 1.8t.

The first time I had to have the fuse holder on the battery replaced because the contacts were so corroded.

The second time it ended up that the impeller had brocken on the water pump. I seem to remember that when it was overheating, the lower radiator hose was a lot cooler than the top hose, so much so that you could hold it and not get burnt. New pump, not cheap because its pain in the @rse to work on. :thumbd:

Kris · Feb 19, 2005

your car is the same age as mine so your lucky the impeller as only just gone.

mine went 6/9 months ago,

the reason for the high cost is because the cam belt gets replaced.

Madmile · Feb 19, 2005

cupralite said:
Just done that. Changed all 3, 30 amp fuses on top of the battery. Test drive. Still doing it. The thing that doesnt seem right is that each time I have looked under the bonnet, with the engine temp just under 100 degrees, neither of the fans are moving. Surely thats not right......

I would be asking if the water pumps knackered thats one thing, but even if it is the fans should still be running trying to cool the car regardless of what the water pump is doing. ? if its hot why are the fans not running. Knackered fans or Knackered fuse holder like i had.

Disclaimer.... I am normally wrong. And u are luckly i aint blaming the maf as this is my fave part to blame for any fault.

Kris · Feb 19, 2005

the fans will only run when hot water passes the sensor type thing?, no hot water pumping around - no fans.

Fl@pper · Feb 19, 2005

Kris said:
£10 says its the water pump!

your in for a nice £500 bill

sorry sounds my vote - but worth checking it all through first to see if water is circulating

cupralite · Feb 19, 2005

Kris said:
your car is the same age as mine so your lucky the impeller as only just gone.

mine went 6/9 months ago,

the reason for the high cost is because the cam belt gets replaced.

Thats probably cos of its low mileage (34k).

Its looking more and more like I am going to have to spend a fat load of cash! Cheers for your suggestions lads - helps me to know what to expect and therefore, discussions with the garage should be easier. Got to find a decent place to take it now...

Fl@pper · Feb 19, 2005

if its any consequence it really could do with a cambelt change anyway on age

still hurts - but thought it may numb the pain a little

majeka · Feb 21, 2005

we are based in west wales and fit water pumps at reasnoble peices, As the guy says your fans will never come on if the water is not circulating,

when you have low engine revs and speed your engine will cool using an old technique called thermosyphon, but high speed and high revs=overheat + low or high revs and crawling speed will cause overheat and theres no poing on turning up the blower because there is no hot water to cool.

Good luck.

Dont fit the Original vw water pump they are ****...

Kris · Feb 21, 2005

majeka said:
Dont fit the Original vw water pump they are ****...

I agree...

Mine has a brass/metal impeller (I think its a TT pump

)

cupralite · Feb 21, 2005

majeka said:
we are based in west wales and fit water pumps at reasnoble peices, As the guy says your fans will never come on if the water is not circulating,

when you have low engine revs and speed your engine will cool using an old technique called thermosyphon, but high speed and high revs=overheat + low or high revs and crawling speed will cause overheat and theres no poing on turning up the blower because there is no hot water to cool.

Good luck.

Dont fit the Original vw water pump they are ****...

Cheers ! I may need it. By the way, it doesnt overheat at crawling speed or at idle. Or even standing still with the revs at 2,500 or so. I dunno - will leave it to the people who do.

I will be speaking to the chaps at Awesome GTI tomorrow who will hopefully manage to sort out my little problem. The dealers were extremely unhelpful, as expected.

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The Great Overheating Poll - 2005!

cupralite

Full Member

Ruddmeister

Everything in Moderation

cupralite

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chriskaven

Full Member

CupraR-Rog

Just Cruising...

Kris

ESTATE! I'm Getting Old!

cupralite

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SeanyK

cupralite

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SeanyK

slimbarry

Hands off!

Kris

ESTATE! I'm Getting Old!

Madmile

Kris

ESTATE! I'm Getting Old!

Fl@pper

Back older greyer and less oilier but always hope

cupralite

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Fl@pper

Back older greyer and less oilier but always hope

majeka

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Kris

ESTATE! I'm Getting Old!

cupralite

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