A Jetta question

[Rick G]

A girl that works for me just bought a Jetta, I think 2000 or somewhere around there with a VR6 engine. She got it cheap because it is overheating and the PO could not figure out why. It can idle a half hour no problem, but when you drive it it overheats in only a couple of miles. I told her to replace thermostat or at least test it. She may even need to look at the waterpump, which I think is one of those internal deals driven off the timing belt.
 She spoke to a "Foriegn car Specialist" the other day and made arrangements to take it to him. He is telling her, the fan has 3 speeds that are determined by various temp switches and it is common for one of these switches to fail and fans won't run at right speed, and also that having standard (green) antifreeze in them will cause overheating that he has had VWs in his shop with temp problems and he just changed out the antifreeze to the red/pink stuff and they ran fine. I called on the antifreeze thing but she says he is an expert. I haven't actually looked at the car.  Is this guy full of it or am I too cynical? I always thought the pink stuff just had better corrossion resistance for engines that had multiple metals with in the coolant path in order to minimize galvanic corrosion.

[Rob 57 Oval (Talon)]

Not sure about the coolant thing, but my sister-in-law just had to replace the fan in her 05 Jetta.

[Kimbo]

I'll keep searching for an answer, but in the meantime, I found this very useful information on e.How regarding how to compare antifreeze:

"Consider the color of antifreeze. For decades, antifreeze has been recognized by it's bright green color, but now there are other colors such as orange and blue. The biggest reason for this change was the green antifreeze has a chemical dangerous to animals. The newer colors and styles have removed this chemical."

So, use orange and blue, because green's apparently nasty for the environment - might screw your engine up....... but, think of the animals !!

[Kimbo]

Here's a link that may assist:

http://autorepair.about.com/cs/generalinfo/a/aa052601a.htm

[buggyman]

 
Dayo Rick ,
What you need to start with is genuine G12 coolant ,not a G11/G12 compatible coolant http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=G12+coolant&cp=11&pf=p&sclient=psy&site=&source=hp&aq=0&aqi=&aql=&oq=G12+coolant&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=cf5fe7836e331b33&biw=1259&bih=802

from
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=g12+coolant&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1259&bih=802&pdl=3000&wrapid=tljp1308715454390012&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi
Then what I'd check/replace is the thermostat housing(dead center in this pic) ,& the auxiliary water pump located right between #'s 3&4 a little higher up

from
http://www.partsplaceinc.com/catalog/P%20Catalog%202006/s-108.shtml
from
http://www.google.com/search?um=1&hl=en&biw=1259&bih=802&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=2000+vw+VR6+thermostat+housing&btnG=Search&oq=2000+vw+VR6+thermostat+housing&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=s&gs_upl=262667l302915l0l35l33l0l23l23l2l1192l6788l5-1.3.3l8
& all it's adjacent pieces except for an aftermarket (Meyle ) 4pin green multitemp sender,it's gotta have the VW/AUDI logos scribed into the shoulder of it's brass base to be a currently updated one ,part # is 059-919-501-A & that part # is also gonna be scribed into the base http://www.google.com/search?um=1&hl=en&biw=1259&bih=802&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=059-919-501-A&btnG=Search&oq=059-919-501-A&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=s&gs_upl=231553l247206l0l10l10l0l0l0l0l862l6909l5-5.5l10 .
If it's not a factory part(= logos & part# ground off = a factory rejected lot part) or no evidence of ever having had a logo or part#(= a cheap replica ),then it just aint gonna last long or send the right signals to an updated ECU.

Does this car have mileage somewhere in the 60k-120k-180k ranges?,if so then the timing belt + it's tensioners + the water pump also need to be updated,60k increment mileage is the recommended interval-when 1 is done the others are also because access to 1 creates easy access to the rest which cuts repeated labour(Hi! Kimbo ) time to do the same job over again if skipped .

Get me an accurate VIN#(Hi! VIN ) & I can getcha any anything like possible open recalls & much more accurate part# data,because there's an important # of breaks between 99-00-&01 technologies .

Sounds like the "Foreign Car Specialist" knows his shizzle(Hi! fie ).
Print out a copy of this & have her take it to him ,he'll most likely concur 100%.

 

[Poderoso]

buggyman has got it down! hahaha who needs a mechanic when he can give you all the info you need in one post!

so whats the deal with the antifreeze when they say "you can mix with other colors" on the label?

[Don]

Rick
Let us know the outcome.
Buggyman rocks the house!!!!

[VolksDragen]

Drain out the coolant So it can be 'Aircooled' 
But seriously agreeing with Buggyman, Sounds like mechanical issue.
wrong coolant type won't have major effect of heat transfer capabilities, more of an incapatability with engine metals, seals and gaskets. Also gelling of the cooling system if mixed with different types of coolant and an incorrect water/antifreeze mix.
whew.. that was my 3 pennies worth

[Kimbo]

Dayo Buggyman - we know that you know that we know you know your shizzle too

[Rick G]

Thanks Buggyman, I knew you would come through. I passed it on to her. She paid $300.00 for the car, interier is nice, needs the overheating problem fixed and a windsheild, and eventually a hood. PO drove off with hood not latched, hood flew up and hit windshield, cracked the glass and messed up the hood. I don't understand why she doesn't do the simple things hersef first, she works on cars a lot but this one has her scared for some reason. Maybe because it put her in ER with 2nd degree burn on arm and wrist. When Big Ole Poopy like that happens to me though it just pisses me off and makes me want to show the car that I can not be intimidated.

Rick

[buggyman]

 
"Dayo Buggyman - we know that you know that we know you know"
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-EZf56AfYc" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-EZf56AfYc</a> 
I Gnu http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=gnu&psj=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1280&bih=806&wrapid=tlif130880114420610&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi  that! .

Rick ,after reading your & the other's responses,something else that comes to mind is the fan control module:

from
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?5256357-FS-Fan-Control-Module-(FCM)
from
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&biw=1280&bih=806&gbv=2&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=2000+vw+jetta+vr6+fan+control+module&btnG=Search&oq=2000+vw+jetta+vr6+fan+control+module&aq=f&aqi=&aql=undefined&gs_sm=s&gs_upl=5618l9734l0l2l2l0l0l0l0l3434l3434l9-1l1

Again ,the exact proper part# relative to the application has to be used unless the mechanic has an otherwise unknown work-around to apply maybe a different type.

Thanks! dudes
 

[Poderoso]

lol can someone plz just start up a new thread titled ask buggyman...

first question id ask how were the pyramids built?

[VolksDragen]

lol can someone plz just start up a new thread titled ask buggyman...

first question id ask how were the pyramids built?

[Kimbo]

lol can someone plz just start up a new thread titled ask buggyman...

first question id ask how were the pyramids built?

  - too easy - he'd say "very slowly", or "by lots of Egyptians". You need to ask something tricky like "Does a dog from Kentucky bark with a southern accent ?"

[buggyman]

 
It'd sound something like this Kimbo <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PS0P7w4YCDI" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PS0P7w4YCDI</a>  .

 

[spare parts]

I don't know about you guys but I want to do the Vulcan mind meld on B M


so I can get my shizzle up to speed !

[Kimbo]

Well, that's not exactly what I was expecting Buggyman, but all I can say Phen-(rude word omitted, but begins with fffff)-ominal

I have just emailed that link to myself at home so that I don't lose it - the links from that youtube to their other stuff are just brilliant - never heard of this bunch before - where on earth did you come across them (or will that be giving away too many of your "shizzle" secrets)?

BM

[buggyman]

 
"where on earth did you come across them"
Pffft! ,between you ,Poder & the radio which just happened to be playing the original Bangle's version at the time all I did was http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&biw=1280&bih=806&gbv=2&q=vw%20113517193A&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbo=u&tbm=vid&source=og&sa=N&tab=iv#sclient=psy&hl=en&gbv=2&tbm=vid&source=hp&q=walk%20like%20an%20egyptian&aq=0&aqi=&aql=&oq=walk+lik&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=98cfe7bddfd44537&biw=1280&bih=806&pf=p&pdl=3000 it,the dog in the backwoods falling over without anyone else around to hear it woulda been "ROWCH!,ya'll" .

"I want to do the Vulcan mind meld on B M"
Can I be Spock this time,spare ?,'cause if I'm McCoy I'm in big trouble
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0yXqU-w9U0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0yXqU-w9U0</a> .
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVhcB9ucmdg" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVhcB9ucmdg</a>
I'm a Buggyman!