2000 golf overheating?

yesterday while driving on freeway to work the temp gauge was sitting at 190 as usual then all of a sudden rose to 250 lights flashing and all. pulled over fans were running got bacvk in and it cooled down to 190 in 2 minutes fans turned off. Started driving again and within 2 minutes did the same thing. I thought it was the thermostat so I changed it. Now I have 2 problems I can't get the water back into the system I added the water as the manual says but i can only get half what came out back in. Is the water pump to blame or does someone have a trick to bleeding the air out. Thanks

Have you tried to let it idle for about a minute or so?

The engine runs 190 as normal at idle and when I pull over when it gets hot it cools down to 190 and the fans turn off in a matter of 2 minutes- almost seems like not enough flow (thermo or water pump). I saw in a search some have complained about water pump impellars breaking off. I still can't get the air out of the system to run the car after changing out the thermo. What givves who has the trick to bleed air out or is the water pump faulty

The engine runs 190 as normal at idle and when I pull over when it gets hot it cools down to 190 and the fans turn off in a matter of 2 minutes- almost seems like not enough flow (thermo or water pump). I saw in a search some have complained about water pump impellars breaking off. I still can't get the air out of the system to run the car after changing out the thermo. What givves who has the trick to bleed air out or is the water pump faulty


Have you let it idle with the radiator cap open, so the air can come off?

Is there any valve for bleed the air specified on your manual??

is your sensor working properly? some loose wire?

I would check this before thinking the pump is faulty, maybe phisically you can check the air is flowing.....

Good luck.

It was the water pump! impellar just spinning on the shaft. Way poor design.

Yup, buy aftermarket.. there metal impellar not plastic like vw