jared8783

Okay so I purchased an overheating 1997 . Guy said it was a thermostat so stupid me didn't try to diagnose it and just changed it out. (Replaced http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=timing+belt uponexamination also) Now the car is still overheating. At idle and during city driving. I've not tried highway driving yet. And I made sure to use coolant from the Audi dealership. This is both my first Audi and first car without a radiator cap.

I've not seen any evidence of coolant in the oil, no bubbles/milky color on the dipstick nor under the oil cap. After I changed the thermostat I blead the system, however I forgot to wait for it to warm up before I blead it. Then it overheated again so I then decided to blead again while it was overheated. Then some fluid came out at first but then was just nothing but steam from the bleeders. Today when I got home I made sure there was coolant and this time I waited til the coolant temp gauge was at the half way point and I blead it again. This time the bleeder hose hole squirt coolant over a foot high (didn't happen on the other two bleads). But....it still overheated.

Also I have no heat in the vehicle when I crank the temp all the way up. I have looked under the dash and verified that red actuator arm is moving when I change the temp and sure enough it is. AC works fine. The electric fan however ONLY comes on when the AC is on, regardless of what the coolant temp is. Is it supposed to be like that? How could I tell is the fan clutch is bad? I guess i should get the stuff do do the garden hose flush on the heater core.

Please Audi enthusiasts, help me diagnose my first serious cooling issue as well as my first Audi. Also I don't think it's related but in case it could be I'll mention it. The car takes a while to start. I have to crank for a few seconds, stop, then do it again before it starts up. I figure that's probably something in the fuel system and something I'd diagnose after I took care of the overheating. In case you're wondering I got a 87 a4 vg manual quattro 150k miles for 800 bucks.

jared8783

Odd I can't edit my post. For the record I have no clue how the heck an ebay url got into my post. Instead of the url what it is supposed to say is I've replaced the timing belt upon examination.

David.Norton

Sure sounds like coolant is not circulating, is the radiator hot when the engine is hot? Since you don't seem to have circulation though the heater or the radiator either they are both blocked, or the pump or thermostat. Since you already changed the thermostat (although I have seen new ones bad, you could always boil the old one in a pot on the stove and see if it was opening) I would look at the water pump. They have a plastic impeller that does come apart.

jared8783

The coolant would still squirt through the bleeder if the pump isn't working? Can I check the temp of the hoses to verify whether the pump is working?

G_claudz

Check your water pump, also double check the wiring to your temp sensor cause if there's an issue with an intermittent open circuit to those wires, it can also make it seem like the engine is over heating when it is not. Get your car scanned for errors.

ktleop1959

the 98 I bought had the same problem the PO tore it apart to replace the thermostat then couldnt put it back together After doing the timing belt WP and thermostat I hooked the radiator up to just check that the car ran (it sat for 2 yrs) She fired right up after warming up I found the radiator was clogged halfway up from the bottom after installing a new one and bleeding the system I have plenty of heat and a decent running car Make sure you use the correct anti freeze and dont mix different kinds in the car

jared8783

Had car scanned today. Only code P0141 and O2 code so not related. CEL isn't on.

Anyways, I fels the upper and lower hoses as well as the radiator today to see if they were getting hot. Upper radiator is getting hot, lower is not. Radiator is getting hot near the upper hose, but it's not getting hot near the lower hose. What this means exactly? Idk that's what I'm here for. I guess it means eiher the thermostat or water pump is bad. Or the radiator is clogged? How can I check if the radiator is clogged? Can I flush the radiator myself?

This car also sat for a year and a half. Not sure if it was overheating before it was parked or not. And yeah I made sure to get coolant from the Audi dealer.

ktleop1959

It's most likely clogged like mine was I got a new one online and that trouble went away

jared8783

Well I went to check it out and start tearing it apart. Took the bumper off then removed the drain plug for the radiator. Almost nothing came out of the drain plug, literally just drops. There was some gunk on the plug. Can I backflush this with a garden hose? Or take it to a shop and have them clear the clog? Or am I doomed to be buying a new radiator?

jared8783

Well now this is frustrating. I just pulled off the radiator. Coolant poured out the top and the bottom. And after I had the radiator completely out, I poured water through with a pitcher and it flowed right through and out the other side of the radiator. As it should right? I'm confused, frustrated. Not sure if this means I should or shouldn't replace the radiator.