Another blinking coolant temp gauge question

[Chucktastic]

sorry this is kinda long....

So coming home a little while ago and about 2-3 miles from the house the coolant light starts to blink red.

Right before this happens though my beautiful ice cold ac cuts off and turns to hot air. The temp gauge starts blinking so I head straight home which like I said was 2-3 miles from where it started acting up.

Sitting in driveway I turn AC off/on and never hear the compressor kick in. Both fans are just churning away however. No smell of over heating at all. Pop the hood after turning off the car and no smell of overheating while looking around. Some 'gurgling' is heard underneath but coolant level looks ok in the tank.

Will replace temp sensor tomorrow morning (autozone already closed) and top off any missing fluid. Oddly just checked after letting her cool down a few hours and the AC kicks right in, though I didnt let her idle long or drive it around the block yet.

Thinking water pump/thermostat issue since Ive posted up about the odd temp sensor code in the past (have learned to deal with it since I have replaced the sensor in the past). But have just been living with low mpg for the past year due to not wanting to spend the money (low mpg of 14-15mpg city)

Any tips/suggestions other than having it towed to dealer tomorrow which is pretty high on my list of things to do. (Tried to do thermostat last month myself but just couldnt get my huge ass hands in the right places)

Thanks in advanced for any info

Car is a 2003 2.0 w/61000 miles. Currently getting MAYBE 220 miles per tank of gas

[D2Beetle]

So has your water pump ever been changed?

[kellyyysayss]

Hey! I had this issue as well, it was just a bad temp sensor. This is a part you should get from VW, Autozone isn't really reliable. Don't forget the clip and O ring with the sensor, and that VW coolant is half coolant fluid and half water.

Post updates tomorrow! Hope my insight helps.

[Chucktastic]

Originally Posted by D2Beetle

So has your water pump ever been changed?

nope it has not been replaced yet. Mileage wise its due, so depending on if changing that sensor corrects the problem tomorrow morning (doubt it) it will probably get changed this week.

[Chucktastic]

Originally Posted by kellyyysayss

Hey! I had this issue as well, it was just a bad temp sensor. This is a part you should get from VW, Autozone isn't really reliable. Don't forget the clip and O ring with the sensor, and that VW coolant is half coolant fluid and half water.

Post updates tomorrow! Hope my insight helps.

I thought about that since its ALOT cheaper than what I paid last year from ECS, but picking up the sensor at 730am is quick and easy and will let me know if that was the problem or not.

Figured for $9 bucks its quick and easy way to test that part.

[Fl_bug]

Originally Posted by Chucktastic

I thought about that since its ALOT cheaper than what I paid last year from ECS, but picking up the sensor at 730am is quick and easy and will let me know if that was the problem or not.

Figured for $9 bucks its quick and easy way to test that part.

9 g0t the $9 one too. Its been about 4 months or so and everything is fine from me.

But before you take your old one off, i recommend going by a Vw dealership and picking up a retaining clip just in case u lose yours in the engine bay like I did. Its $.50.

[Chucktastic]

Well the sensor didn't fix the issue. Still got 1 mile down the road before the AC cut off and the light started blinking again.

Got home and the reservoir was almost to the top (after being to the correct level prior to the short drive)

Local VW shop thats recommended by a few people is so busy that they dont have room on their lot for my car right now. MAYBE late tomorrow or Wednesday. With them maybe getting it done by Firday or early next week.

Timing/waterpump/belts/tensioner replacement is $700

Calling dealer now for their price quote and to see if they can get me in any earlier. Might be cheaper for me to go to the dealer since if I dont get it done asap, then Im out the cost of a rental car.

[Chucktastic]

Odd ---- dealer is willing to do it now for $654.

Having roadside assistance tow it in today and they will have it done tomorrow. (booked up today)

Just hope I am not making a mistake sending to the dealership (Checkard Flag VW in Virginia Beach, VA)

[Fl_bug]

Originally Posted by Chucktastic

Odd ---- dealer is willing to do it now for $654.

Having roadside assistance tow it in today and they will have it done tomorrow. (booked up today)

Just hope I am not making a mistake sending to the dealership (Checkard Flag VW in Virginia Beach, VA)

Oh wow? That is unusually cheap for them. Is that including labor costs?

[Chucktastic]

Originally Posted by Fl_bug

Oh wow? That is unusually cheap for them. Is that including labor costs?

God I hope so! But your comment made me just call the dealer back and yep, $653.54 parts/labor/tax!

Still not what I was saving my money up for, but it needed to be done and now I wont have to worry about it dying on me before I pay it completely off.

[Smileybug]

And you're sure thats the water pump AND timing belt? Thats about what it sounded like for just one of them when I got it priced out a number of years ago. Was more like $800 or $900 for the entire service in MD.

I ended up just having my local shop do it for me. Cost me $450, and that was also with an oil change and a new air filter. I'm never taking my car to the dealer again. Only had experiences with MD dealers myself, none good. And heard no so great things about most of the ones here in NC.

Its an old thread, but there are a lot of shops mentioned here: Need shop in Va.Beach area! - NCDubs | VW Audi Porsche Performance News & Tuning Forums

[Chucktastic]

Well its the 'lesser of two evils' as the local shop guy told me this morning when I asked him for a recommendation.

But yea, I called dealer back and she confirmed the price includes replacement of the timing belt and the water pump, pretty sure she said 6hrs of labor and taxes.

Will be ticked if its way more than that. The budget is having a hard time swallowing this amount right now (damn back to school shopping this weekend PRIOR to this issue).

Figure if I can get out the door under $750 with a warranty from the dealer then its worth it. Since Im not out the $200 in a rental it would have cost me if I had waited for the independent shop to have space/time to get to me.

[Fl_bug]

Originally Posted by Chucktastic

God I hope so! But your comment made me just call the dealer back and yep, $653.54 parts/labor/tax!

Still not what I was saving my money up for, but it needed to be done and now I wont have to worry about it dying on me before I pay it completely off.

Thats a fair price then. Before i did mine at an independant vw shop, i had a quote from a local dealership and it was a hair under $1,400 with parts, tax, and labor.

[Chucktastic]

So yea just got the call from the dealers service adviser.....

Yea now telling me $927-979 depending on if they can get me a discount or not.

Let me tell you I'm not happy. Totally should have got the estimate in writing, but got it by phone and didn't think to record the call using google voice. Told the service adviser that I called and confirmed TWICE what the est was and he told me that the girl I talked to was incorrect.

He did confirm that the water pump is toast along with the thermostat.

So that $927-979 includes the timing belt replacement/ water pump / thermostat and all the parts/labor/tax to complete the job and still completing the job tomorrow.

[Smileybug]

Yeah I bet that $600 was roughly labor, if you said that it was 6 hours. I know the dealer I went to once was $92/hr. I've heard of others being even closer to $100.

[D2Beetle]

Originally Posted by Chucktastic

So yea just got the call from the dealers service adviser.....

Yea now telling me $927-979 depending on if they can get me a discount or not.

Let me tell you I'm not happy. Totally should have got the estimate in writing, but got it by phone and didn't think to record the call using google voice. Told the service adviser that I called and confirmed TWICE what the est was and he told me that the girl I talked to was incorrect.

He did confirm that the water pump is toast along with the thermostat.

So that $927-979 includes the timing belt replacement/ water pump / thermostat and all the parts/labor/tax to complete the job and still completing the job tomorrow.

So I'm guessing you are not a DIY type; you could do it for half of the original quote.

[Fl_bug]

Originally Posted by Chucktastic

So yea just got the call from the dealers service adviser.....

Yea now telling me $927-979 depending on if they can get me a discount or not.

Let me tell you I'm not happy. Totally should have got the estimate in writing, but got it by phone and didn't think to record the call using google voice. Told the service adviser that I called and confirmed TWICE what the est was and he told me that the girl I talked to was incorrect.

He did confirm that the water pump is toast along with the thermostat.

So that $927-979 includes the timing belt replacement/ water pump / thermostat and all the parts/labor/tax to complete the job and still completing the job tomorrow.

I had a feeling. Told you before my dealer quoted just shy under $1,400.

Have your tried at a local Vw Shop?

This link here is a great way to get started for finding a local shop.

[The NEW Ringo]

Hello,

I certainly feel sorry for you. That dealership needs to be reported to the better buisness bureau at least. It will have to be in writting as that is how it works. It would be worth your time for the bait and switch they are pulling.

As far as doing it yourself. I did the timing belt kit with water pump etc. I was hard but worth saving the money and doing myself. If you cant do it yourself host a get together in your area with local org members to fix the car. Michelleroza has done this in the past and its great cheap labor. You feed them, and they do the work. You learn in the process as well. This site has more than enough information to arm you, to do this repair. Just search the threads on this topic.

Good luck
Marc