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Vw polo classic Engine Temperature Problem
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VenomViperial
New User
Nov 14, 2016, 1:12 AM
Post #1 of 6
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Vw polo classic Engine Temperature Problem
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Volkswagen Polo Classic 1.4
1997
269665 kilometers
so at first my car overheated with water pouring out of the water bottle. steam and all.
the car stood for a night. put in water, same thing happens. leave the car for half a day. put in water in the water bottle. also the housing that comes form the radiator to the engine, i poured water in there.
now the car wont heat up properly. heat gauge only goes up one quarter when driving. when i stop it rises to halfway which is my normal then the fan turns on and it drops back to a quarter again which is 70 degrees Celsius. i also noticed that the water in the water bottle rises quite high but not to the point where it boils out. water just rises but seems calm.
the thermostat and water pump with the fan switch was replaced a few months ago.
what can this be?
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Nov 14, 2016, 3:30 AM
Post #2 of 6
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Re: Vw polo classic Engine Temperature Problem
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Welcome and know suggestions will be limited as this vehicle as you know it is not sold to the US where most techs are located.
Still it overheated and now isn't operating as apparently it once did.
Had to cheat and see where your signal came from, Cape Town, SA about the climate of Los Angeles, CA USA. You mention "water" I take that as literal that your usual environment you don't fear for freezing often or at all but you can't just use water as a coolant for long at a time. There's part of what may be your larger problem which after an overheat will be to do everything to rule out head gasket problems so do so.
Note: Not known sold to me in the US anymore but there was a product called just engine coolant which was to protect it corrosion wise - all parts that have anything to do with cooling the engine - radiator, gaskets and the areas of engine itself all included.
1997 now selling 2017 = a 20 year old vehicle thereabout. That's way too long to run on just water many times over.
System must hold pressure even if designed for plain water would need it. Running temp of just 70C seems low to me, most would rather run closer to the boiling point of water, 100C/212F, pure water at sea level and that matters!
Depending on how long after checking everything to do with it holding pressure and ruling out head gasket problems or even warped or corroded engine parts that no longer can seal properly. Because of an overheat throw in warped parts as well.
#1 - It must hold pressure. I don't know where you got 70C as an operating temp but that has to be too low if a real temperature which should be suggested by parts look up you can do what thermostat it calls for.
All this can be the pressure cap itself as well not able to hold pressure and use of just plain water. Suggest you use what is suggested for this vehicle almost all so be sold anywhere would be a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water or very close to that.
Again - I think plain engine coolant/protection alone is no longer in use nor would a new car be shipped new without something other than plain water - a problem even for marine use only items/engines at this age,
T
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VenomViperial
New User
Nov 14, 2016, 4:22 AM
Post #3 of 6
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Re: Vw polo classic Engine Temperature Problem
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Thank you for the input. i forgot to mention that it shows on my heat gauge the temperatures. it used to be 90C. now its at 70C.
also i have been using antifreeze and water mixture but i do not want to waste money by buying antifreeze again and then my car overheats on me again and there goes my antifreeze.
Once again thank you for the input.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Nov 14, 2016, 4:54 AM
Post #4 of 6
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Re: Vw polo classic Engine Temperature Problem
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Sorry for the novel on this but do use some. There are some vehicles that suggest a lower concentration.
It just so happens all things equal plain water can cool an engine better than a mix with the common antifreeze as its heat exchange BTU is noticeably greater which gets technical but lacks corrosion protection and lube of a seal for water pumps if nothing else involved so use SOME till this is over and you know how much you are dealing with.
Yes - if not a long history of just water you have a chance at a fix vs just give up on this car if total fix exceeds potential value as transportation to you. Any book values are absurd guesses by this age is my opinion yet some value would be listed. Truth is it's now all about what condition the car is in general.
Wish you could know why it's running cooler now. That is highly dictated by the rating of the thermostat for coolant then when fans kick on those are detecting what temp to do so.
Any boiling unseen or vapor in system will not react properly usually slow to respond for gauges and switches that are temp sensitive.
Do take what the vehicle's gauge says as an estimate not known in most to be that precise to the degrees by several vs real testing for example with infrared thermometers to see what's really going on for temps.
Good luck. There are thing you need to check and decisions to make before much more can be known on what you choose to do,
T
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VenomViperial
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Nov 14, 2016, 5:45 AM
Post #5 of 6
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Re: Vw polo classic Engine Temperature Problem
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aahh thank you. also i just drove the car. checked the water now. seems normal. slight rise in water after drive but, there appears to be a slight whistle coming from the water bottle. what may that be?
Thank you for the help. Appreciated.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Nov 14, 2016, 6:16 AM
Post #6 of 6
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Re: Vw polo classic Engine Temperature Problem
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OK - Whistle? Is this "water bottle" also known as the recovery tank where you see the coolant level? Does that have the pressure cap or the radiator on this car - I can't know that from here. Either way the whistle is probably vapor escaping. Where pressure cap is located matters for testing and if known full of liquid or vapor is there on some you can't know from just a tank.
That "whistle" could be vapors for combustion gasses getting into the cooling system quickly venting out as it exceeds the limits of a pressure cap which is why all this matters and becomes so long for me to express how it works for you and others.
That pressure if it builds up fast upon a cold start as felt by simple feeling the upper radiator hose which should have none when cold for some time then very little for a few minutes (use a watch) then the pressure cap, usually about 15 pounds or PSI (I don't do metric well sorry) prevents boiling of a liquid roughly 3 degrees Fahrenheit per pound of pressure so plain water wouldn't boil till 257F if you do the math.
If it builds up right away notably up to this Whistle then it may quickly (seconds or less than a minute) exceed normal pressure of normal expansion of heat of the coolant or plain water either boiling or combustion gasses are entering the cooling system which is very damning of a blown head gasket unfortunately is both common after an overheat and quite costly but you need to know for sure.
Seems your actual cooling system in the radiator and engine is NOT free of vapor/air if you wish as a term. Air can't be as fast as a liquid for thermostat or the gauge and sender for fans so messes up the show and easily give you incorrect readings by gauges you see.
Think vapor vs a liquid. If you just put your hand in water that is even 120F you'll burn your hand. Put your hand waving in hot air that temp like from an oven doesn't harm you quickly - same idea. That's the problem. Air can't "exchange" heat with the force and speed of a liquid, namely coolant in this case even just water for right now.
The work now is prove it one way or the other with equipment, tests and observations. If you don't have the equipment the next step is to find the shop or tech that does with the history you've said especially.
If a head gasket you should know that you will NOT know the extent of the problem till it's apart. Testing is done before you take things apart so you can apply pressure by a pump to cooling system as part of the checking.
The fix could be quite costly to do well up to exceeding what you are willing to pay if in fact it has warped or cracked vital engine parts! Sorry but can be that bad not known for sure right now so you need to get help for the diagnosis and an estimate of the costs which already said will not be totally known till apart and even parts sent to a machine shop for repair or finding they can't be used again.
Serious stuff for all engines, some frightfully costly and some more reasonable.
This is not your average "do-it-yourself" job but you have said that it whistles which is NOT a promising sign that you've escaped engine damage.
Hey - I can't make that call just go by what you've reported. For this I prefer more than one test show things are wrong before taking it on up to a second opinion if you feel even better about what to do and a range of costs so you can decide.
Hope I'm wrong for you but not promising as said,
Tom
(This post was edited by Tom Greenleaf on Nov 14, 2016, 6:27 AM)
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