[weaselg2004]

My fiancé has a 99 VW beetle 2.0L, with almost 100,000 on it. This Friday coming home from work the coolant light came on but in red, beeped and started flashing. I just looked at it today, checked the reservoir and it was for the most part dry. So just to test to see if it was low on coolant and kicking the light on, I filled it with straight water. Started let it run for a little bit and revved it up some. No light sounded fine. Drove it maybe 2-3 blocks light came on beeped and starting flashing. Turned around pulled back in the garage and turned it off. I got out the owners manual to see what it had to say. It states if the red light flashes while driving check the coolant. Well that part is out of the equation. And it also states if the red light does not go off, “which it did after filling” or should start blinking again the car is either low on coolant or the temperature is too high, ok obviously. Then it states if after topping of the coolant symptom and problem persists check the radiator fan fuse. But I remembered when I had the hood up after filling the reservoir, the A/C was on and the fans were running. But I double checked this to make sure what I remembered was true went back out started it, turned the A/C on, and both the radiator fan and condenser fan were both on. So I took it out again same problem couple blocks light on and flashing, as soon as it did this, A/C light was still on but stopped blowing cold air out the vents. Pulled back in the garage shut it off, popped the hood and the reservoir was boiling over from underneath. Let it sit for a little bit. Turned the ignition on to run, switched the A/C and the fans kicked on. So the fuse should also be out of the equation. But being the German engineered car it is “No offense to you VW guys, I’m just a die hard Chevrolet / Ford truck guy” I checked the fuse and it was fine. This time I let it run in the garage until the light came on with the A/C on. Sure enough as soon as the light came on flashing, the A/C compressor clutch kicked out and it shut down both fans? “Why the freak would it shut the fans down especially the radiator fan, if it’s detecting a cooling problem?” Then the owner’s manual states if the fuse is not blown, the belt driving the water pump is not broken and warning light continues to flash stop driving see your dealer. Well I don’t know what’s up with the water pump, but if it’s driven off of the timing belt and the thing still runs fine, I’m guessing the belt is fine. Otherwise there would be no camshaft movement, “am I correct?” But after it does its thing with the light, I checked the coolant hoses and intake from the radiator, and return to the radiator are both hot. So with all of that info anybody else seen anything like this. I’ve read the other forums about the blinking red coolant light but none went into detail of what was going on completely. I just don’t understand why its not kicking the radiator fan on, when It comes on with the condenser fan running with A/C on but then stills gets hot and shuts the fans down.

Well I tried it again out in the garage let it run till the light came on again no fan engagement and re-felt hoses. Upper radiator hose was very hot lower radiator hose very hot from engine block until it elbows down then was cool, room temperature. So I’m pretty confident it is the T-stat. But where the h_ll is it? I’m assuming that block deal between the block and the upper radiator hose.