[Vwdiesel] overheating redux

[S. Shourds]

This weekend, I finally lit a fire under myself and replaced the 
thermostat in the TDI.  Enthusiasm has not been high.  I got it 
together, changed the oil while I was at it, and started it up.  
Everything looked fine.  I drove it to a car wash to de-grease the 
engine in the interest of tracking down a small oil leak.  The 
temperature was fine.  I drove a few more miles and then hit the 
entrance ramp on the highway.  Just as I'm hitting warp speed and 
beginning to merge with traffic, the dash starts beeping and flashing 
"ABS".  I also notice at this time that the temperature gauge is heading 
straight to the red.  I hook a hard right at the next exit and while 
waiting at a yield to get back home, I reboot (shut off and restart) to 
at least get rid of the ABS light.  Curiously enough, at this point, the 
temp needle drops to dead center.  I drive a little ways farther on a 
surface street, and the temp needle is going high enough to give the 
overheat warning light.  I shut off the engine so as to not overcook it 
while I wait for a hole in traffic to dip into a parking lot.  30 
seconds later, I restart, plow through a small hole in traffic, and look 
down at the gauge:  dead center.  I pop the hood.  Fluid levels normal, 
upper hose too hot to handle, lower hose just a little above pleasantly 
warm, the coolant fan is cycling on and off.  The thought occurs to me 
that the cooling system could be working fine and it could be an 
electrical problem, particularly as it occurred simultaneously with the 
ABS warning, which, when VAG-COMed indicates "Supply voltage at terminal 
30 outside range, intermittent." 

The sole caveat is that when the temp gauge went up, the first thing I 
did was crank the heat to max.  I never got any heat.  I did, of course, 
drain and refill the coolant system when I replace the thermostat.  If 
there was a bubble in the heater system, could that make a problem on 
these lines?  I know the IDI engines were bad about getting bubbles, but 
I don't know about the TDI.  Everything's so strangely different (they 
take the same thermostat, though).  I did fill according to 
instructions:  slowly into the reservoir, warm up the engine, cool, and 
top off.  I had coolant at the upper hose.  I wasn't getting solid flow 
at the coolant reservoir hose.  At least I don't think so.  The memory's 
vague on that point. 

As far as the electrical concerns, the CD version of Bentley won't let 
me see the wiring diagrams.  It just chokes.  Anyone had that happen? 

So the questions:  I've filled and drained this thing a couple times 
before and had no problems.  Anyone know where a bubble might be hiding?

                            Anyone know if the ABS connection to 
"terminal 30" and the temperature sensor pass through a common 
junction?  I've already had a few problems with the harness right under 
the drip shield                             between the wipers--there's 
a big hole in it someone cut to access that junction. 

                            Anyone else had problems with the Bentley 
wiring diagrams?  The computer's really flaky anyways so who know what 
the problem there is. 



BTW, my DVD drive won't give me any sound when I try to watch a movie 
and even my oven popped an error code, so it's just sort of been like 
that lately.  I'm thinking of running away and joining the Amish. Of 
course then, my chickens would get bird flu. 


-Shalyn