Passat doesn't like the coolant

[irgendeiner]

I have a 95 VR6 Passat. I love it even so i just had it for 5 month, but some problems occured. One of them is that it keeps spitting out the coolant out of the overflow. I don't know why it does it, I flushed it and it was fine for a week or two but then i had the same problem. Especially when i turn off the engine after it is hot. Since it has been spitting out the coolant it also has some electrical problems: like the lights are turning off when i'm driving and the windows wiper turn on, or it just kills it, looks like the outrunning coolant creates electrical shorts. Can someone HELP ME,Please??? Why my car spitts out the coolant? Oh yeah it shows that it is running on operating temperature (200F).

Thanks Oliver

[boschmann]

There should be an electric coolant circulating pump that comes on to prevent the coolant in the cylinder head from getting too hot after shutdown. It commonly goes bad or leaks. The electrical problems sound related to the ignition switch, another common failure. Try jiggling the key when the problems occur.

[irgendeiner]

Thanks boschmann, I will try it out with the circulating pump. I have read about the ignition switch and i tried your suggestion but it didn't help on my car. So hopefully it is just the pump that i have to replace and the outrunning water was that created a short. If not i guess I'm going to find out. hehe
Thanks again for the help, Oliver

[irgendeiner]

ok maybe a little help, so it is not the regular waterpump it is the auxiliary water pump, right?

[boschmann]

Yes it is not the main belt driven water pump, but an auxilary electric pump. I haven't done one but I believe it is located above the transmission beside the cylinder head. Just follow the water hoses & you should find the electric pump. When you "jiggle" the ignition switch you can actually turn the key as if you were trying to start the car, a lockout will prevent re-engaging the starter while the engine is running.

[Mikanik]

I may be wrong, but didn't the 95 passats have a recall on there ignition switches? I think VW will put a new one in for free under recall. good luck.

Nick

[irgendeiner]

Hey thanks Nick, I'm going to check it out. Nothing better then saving money and let them do it, hehe

[irgendeiner]

Originally Posted by boschmann

Yes it is not the main belt driven water pump, but an auxilary electric pump. I haven't done one but I believe it is located above the transmission beside the cylinder head. Just follow the water hoses & you should find the electric pump. When you "jiggle" the ignition switch you can actually turn the key as if you were trying to start the car, a lockout will prevent re-engaging the starter while the engine is running.

Hey Boschmann, I replaced the coolant circulation pump, but i still have the same problem. Do you maybe have an other idea what it could be?
thanks Oliver

I'm going to try to replace the thermostat. see what happens

[boschmann]

Was there power to the pump (when engine off & hot & fan running)? Would it work if you connected power to it (brown wire ground, red/white hot)? Does the radiator fan come on at all after shutdown? Did you check the fuses, particularly #4, 13 & 19? There are also three fuses on the fan control module (left side of engine compartment) that control it. You can try jumpering the afterrun temp switch to see if the fan & pump run then. It's got a brown & brown/red wires & I believe its located in the water hose housing on the cylinder head.

[irgendeiner]

yeah i tried that, i bridge the wires to see if the fans and the pump both work and they did. so like i said trying right now to see if it is the thermostat but if it isn't the thermostat i guess the head gasket is gone. It looks like it, the thermostat is just my last hope, i check all the rest of the stuff. It really comes boiling out and it shots as soon you turn off the engine. I read into that and it said most likely it is the head gasket :-(.
alright thanks got get back to workl
Oliver

[boschmann]

I would expect a blown head gasket or stuck thermostat to cause boiling out of coolant when running too, not just after shutdown. Are the afterrun fan & pump running after hot shutdown & it still boils out? If not check that temp switch for continuity (when hot & shut down).

[irgendeiner]

Thanks,
The overboiling turned out to be a problem with the filltank. Also my waterpump when out and then my radiator had to be cleaned. All together it ended up being around $650 quite expensive. Also evenso all of those repairs it runs around 220F. Can you tell what the regular operating temperature is? Isn't it around 195F?
Thanks

[boschmann]

I re-read one of you posts & are you saying it will boil over while running too, even if the cooling fan comes on? If so I might start having some head gasket checks performed (compression check, leakdown tests, etc...) because 220F is a bit hot. Coolant tank could have been damaged from too much pressure/too hot.

[irgendeiner]

True that's why I took it into the shop, and they said well it doesn't look like the headgasket. it is the filltank and they replaced that, then it was still hot i went back and then they told me it is the radiator it had some restrictions. so they took care of that. Then it was the waterpump, got that replaced too, for a nice price of 650 bucks.
Yeah and then it is still running 220F, even so i meantioned that it might be the headgasket, but they try to tell me it is normal for that car to run that hot.
Well today i tried the freeway coolant temperature went to 220F and the oil too, so that can't be good
Alright thanks
Oliver

[boschmann]

Oil can go as high as 220F or so and be okay. The new tank/cap? may be holding pressure better & keeping it from boiling over as easily. If the fan is running & the thermostat was checked coolant shouldn't be hitting 220F. I've run across a few headgaskets that were just starting to go that made me wonder for a while. How's the compression? Look closely at the plugs for signs of problems.