1995 GL cooling system mystery

[Jerry]

Hi guys,

I've recently bought a low km 1995 Golf GL. I like the car a lot, but it has some 'features' I'm concerned about and I wonder if I might draw on your collective knowledge? I've searched the forum but can't find anything quite like this. I posted something to the newbies section yesterday but I now realise this is probably the better place to get advice.

When I bought the car I noticed it ran well but ran cold, a noticeable problem in cold Canberra. I took it to my mechanic who discovered there was no thermostat installed. He has now installed one, I have heat and the temperature runs exactly right when the car is warm. He was suspicious that the car might have been prone to overheating and perhaps somebody took the thermostat out but after a couple weeks it is running well and there is no loss of coolant. One of the other reasons he was suspicious is that the fans appear to have been rewired so the fans are always on.

Have any of you ever seen anything like this? Seems to me to be a lot of trouble to go to if you were trying to cover up a leaking head gasket or worse. Is there any reasonable explanation for removing the thermostat?

I have my fingers crossed because I really enjoy the car and would like to keep it but the Golf is new to me and I could use some advice.

thanks very much,

Jerry

[gldgti]

sounds like you (and your mech) are on the money with your suspicions, but if its working ok, then maybe there is no problem. as for the fans being on full time, i'd attempt to ditch that feature if i were you. it'll only make your fuel economy worse and wear out the battery/alternator faster.

factory setup has a thermo-switch located in the pass-side radiator end tank. the switch should have a plug attached which may or may not still be there depending on the extent of 'rewiring'. if the thermo-switch is faulty, a new one can be purchased form any number of aftermarket vw parts places for between $40-$80 bucks, depending on where you get it from.

good luck.

[karmen]

if the car has towbar it may have had cooling needs for towing something regularly.

Was it always in Canberra?

parting a Cordoba 95 if u need bits
many mechanicals are the same.