Quote Originally Posted by guile View Post
Mate if I had to place a bet I would put a lot of money in it being the thermostat. I had exactly the same problem on my a3.

I'll post a link on how to test the fans when I can get to the internet, I'm on my phone at the moment.
Hey Richard,

I pulled the thermostat out and it was stuck closed, I had already bought a replacement w/ housing so fitted it all up and it is much better and not overheating. Was a pain to do but it's fixed the boiling problem.

Quote Originally Posted by guile View Post
this is the link that helped me no end and diagnosed the issue as the thermostat. there is also plenty more info out there if you google this issue...

http://pics.tdiclub.com/data/516/A4_...ting_Rev_7.pdf

let me know if you need a hand when i'm back as i still have the wiring set up i used to test my a3. it's pretty basic though and you could easily wire something up. i bought the fuse and holder from superscrote...
Thanks for the link, I have seen a similar thread on vortex showing the procedure however I am not very good with electrical stuff and somewhat still a novice with car related work. If you have a pic of the 'fused jumper wire' that would be a great help! I know that the fans can run as I've pulled the blade fuse at the drivers side and they both run...I've checked and replaced the fuses on top the battery so I am 99% sure its coming from the fan module or the connectors - the jumper wire will tell the story.

In other news, I have an oil leak at the rear right of the engine and have tried to locate it by pulling a few things of the TIP however cannot really see much back there. I have done some research and it could be the VVT gasket, rocker cover gasket or the Cam adjuster gasket. I don't really know where these are located on my engine but apparently these are common leaks. Just another DIY job to be done - although it is annoying fixing all these parts, it has been a good learning experience and i'm sure it will be helpful for the future...and my wallet