My 2000 VW Golf 4 1,6 has covered 220 000 km. The water temperature stays low on cold days, even while driving for more than 50 km, but moves to 90 degrees (in the middle of the gauge) when the car has stopped. On hot days, the gauge stays where it needs to be.
I’ve had the thermostat checked and apparently it’s still in working condition. The garage has cleaned it and put it back.
In a nutshell, the car takes longer to warm up on cold days and the heater doesn’t get hot enough while driving.
Your March issue mentioned a possibility of a blown head gasket. What else should I look at?
SIBUSISO SITHEBE – By email
All the evidence points to a thermostat that’s not functioning properly. It’s not closing when the water is cold. The garage most likely only checked to see if it was opening. In any case, it’s not normally something that you can clean. After such a high mileage, your engine deserves a new thermostat, and they’re not expensive.
