1999 Volkswagen Passat
Problem for Volkswagen 1999 Passat

It is NOT a VW But A VAUXHALL VECTRA 2.0. Hi there




By makzym on Nov 06, 2009

" "
It is NOT a VW But A VAUXHALL VECTRA 2.0. Hi there My engine gets really hot but does not go on the red stays between 80 and 90 degress. There is no sludge/gunge on the oil filler cap or water on the dipstick. The car does run very nicely but, sitting in traffic my temp gauge goes high very quickly. The top hosepipe goes to boiling point then the water forces it way through the top hose. I have to top up with water every so often depending on how far I go. I was told it is not the thermostat because the whole of the radiator gets hot, if the thermo was not working then only half the rad would be hot. The garage have told me that the head gasket has blown and going to cost over £400 to repair. I also require the sequence and torque settings to put the head back.. Thanks. makzy PS. I am just about to make a start on my car but will wait awhile for your answer.

Clarification Request

Posted by over4dy on Nov 06, 2009

Is it a 4 or 6 cylinder? Did you flush the cooling system? Is your radiator fan running? I'm not sure I would agree with the blown head gasket if your engine is running good. There are so many other possibilities causing your problem besides what I already named above, like: Fan Clutch failing; Water Pump; Cooling Fan Switch; Cooling Fan Relay; Radiator Cap; etc... Do you have any leaks in the system?

Best Solution

posted on Nov 06, 2009
Very Helpful)

motor1258

Rank: Guru  Volkswagen Cars  Expert
Rating: 89%, 2063 votes
Sounds like it could be head gasket, but before you do that, try a few things to confirm it is a head gasket.
Remove rad cap when engine cool, top up coolant, and start engine with Heater ON, and observe what happens, and add coolant as/if needed while engine warms up. when engine reaches normal operating temperature, thermostat should open and coolant will begin to flow good into top of rad. Shortly after that, your cooling fan should come on, to cool what just came into the rad. Then thermostat will open when it reaches temperature in engine again, and cycle begins again. Make sure that fan comes on after hot coolant returns to rad. While watching for flow during thermostat opening, also look for excessive bubbles in rad, indicating possible head gasket leak. If that fan doesn't come on at least by 2nd time thermostat opens, then I'd look into why not. If it does come on as it should, then I'd take vehicle to a rad shop that has dye they can add to coolant, and use a black light to see if it's coming out the tailpipe, that will confirm whether head gasket is leaking into cylinders or not. At least then you know for sure before tearing engine down.

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