My coupe's engine is a tad bit hot

[TEX TERRY, II]

From: Per Lindgren
(snip)
The radiator have a slight leak, but not much; it only gets moist on top
when the engine is hot.
(snip)
My thoughts were that if the temp sender is replaced, the fan
will run much more frequently than today, and not necessarily fix the
problem.
(snip)

With the fan running more frequently, the coolant heat range is being
lowered (which is a good thing).  Have you checked the thermostat to see if
it is possibly failing in a partially closed postion.  This would be
slowing down the rate of the coolant transfer between the engine and the
cooler (radiator).  Test the thermostat by placing it in a pan of water,
along with a known good thermometer, and watch the temperature of the start
of the opening of the thermostat and the temperature of the fully opened
position.  This information will help you compare the gauge readings on the
dash from the temp senDOR.  Using this information will also help you
correctly correlate the temp senSOR ranges for the fan.  Should you have to
purchase a new thermostat, I recommend that you test the new unit (in the
same manner as mentioned above) to verify that you did not receive a faulty
unit from the supplier.  Make sure that you have completely filled the
cooler and that all air is bled out of the system after changing the
thermostat.  Turn on the heater, fans on high, temp on hot, and let the
coolant completely flow through the heater core, engine block, and cooler
core when doing a refill.  Make sure that there is no debris blocking the
air flow across the cooler fins, especially around the bottom and sides.

Tex Terry, II
83 5kt sedan (non-quattro)
Franklin, PA  USA