how can i fix my overheating golf?

check fan belt is tight and change thermostat a common fault on golf is a blockage . run car till warm then empty the system flush with a hose pipe then refill ,run car then top up again keep checking for next few days .Hope this works .

ken
January 2009

1 .thermostat 2. water pump impeller dropped off.fan switch 4. h gasket.temperature sensor faulty. in no particular order

mutley
January 2009

Your fan will be electric, but the water pump will be driven by a belt, normally the cam belt. If the engine runs then the cam belt is ok, which means the water pump should be spinning round which rules that out. That leaves the thermostat on the engine which could be stuck closed and also the radiator which could (if it's old and been a little neglected) be silted up and therefore not allowing efficient cooling.
On another tack completely if your cylinder head gasket has failed that will cause overheating but will also cause other symptoms as well!
If the overheating only occurs in standing traffic I would suspect the thermostat on the radiator that controls the electric fan - since it is in these conditions that the fan is needed. In normal free traffic there is enough airflow through the radiator to cool it without the fan. Hope some of that helps!

Richard
January 2009