overheating question(I already searched)

[MyXbfS4]

Hey everyone,
Im trying to find out what if anything would cause the car to cool down when I switch to tiptronic mode after its about one tick past the middle.

This car has had the same overheating problem even after 2 motor swaps and after changing every common thing that would cause it to overheat.

So when I was on the fwy the other day I noticed it moving past the middle and it felt like it was struggling a little, so I put it in tiptronic mode because it felt like it needed help (it was already in 5th so I'm not sure why I thought it would help) and I noticed the needle slowly going back to the middle. So this got me thinking that maybe its related to the transmission. Is this possible? I know the torque convertor code came up last time I scanned it. does anyone have any insight to what could be the problem? or has anyone had similar issues?

I tested my theory again to make sure it wasnt just a coincidence and again it cooled down after switching modes. any help is greatly appreciated

[slowSfaux]

Automatics have a trans fluid cooler within the radiator. If the transmission is slipping, and creating excessive heat which is then transferred to your coolant via the heat exchanger in the radiator, taking the car out of overdrive can help reduce the thermal output of the transmission. Not necessarily the cause of the overheating, but a contributing factor.

[MyXbfS4]

Automatics have a trans fluid cooler within the radiator. If the transmission is slipping, and creating excessive heat which is then transferred to your coolant via the heat exchanger in the radiator, taking the car out of overdrive can help reduce the thermal output of the transmission. Not necessarily the cause of the overheating, but a contributing factor.

that makes sense. thanks.

I forgot to mention that my heater core was bypassed, not sure if thats the cause but I know other people have bypassed it without issues, I think

[slowSfaux]

Bypassing a heater core shouldn't be the cause of overheating. Sediment buildup within the cooling passages of the engine/Radiator, operation of both of the electric fans, health of the fan clutch on the mechanical fan (no real scientific way to test this, contrary to what everyone on the Internet will tell you), and shrouds and skid plates being in place are all things to look into. After that, assuming a healthy waterpump/thermostat and correct 50/50 mix of the correct g13 coolant (not the green stuff...) you should look into the health of the engine. Retarded timing, timing too advanced, and lean combustion can all cause overheating. Not to mention a cracked block/head or blown head gasket.

[MyXbfS4]

Bypassing a heater core shouldn't be the cause of overheating. Sediment buildup within the cooling passages of the engine/Radiator, operation of both of the electric fans, health of the fan clutch on the mechanical fan (no real scientific way to test this, contrary to what everyone on the Internet will tell you), and shrouds and skid plates being in place are all things to look into. After that, assuming a healthy waterpump/thermostat and correct 50/50 mix of the correct g13 coolant (not the green stuff...) you should look into the health of the engine. Retarded timing, timing too advanced, and lean combustion can all cause overheating. Not to mention a cracked block/head or blown head gasket.

Thanks thats a good list to start with. We have 3 Audi so I know the coolant is the right one at least since we've owned it. however I believe the previous owner had been using the wrong one if I remember correctly. I also just replaced the coolant resevoir because the old one looked like it was melting and felt very soft. I'll start checking the other things you mentioned and hopefully run into the culprit. Thanks for your help

[axnjaksn]

check all the basics, coolant leaks and such. Id recommend a fresh water pump, thermostat, upgraded aluminum thermostat housing, coolant temp sensors and fan switches... all these things could be contributing and should be replaced regularly ... its always nice to have a fresh timing belt kit with all this stuff replaced too, plus they aren't terribly expensive and I believe your BF can do it!!!! after that maybe look into a trans service....new fluid and filter and seals...always a good idea to do....other than that, maybe its because you water pump is on the way out....when you drop a gear its forces it to spin slightly higher rpm and cause it to work like its supposed too, or maybe it spinning the fan faster and the fan clutch is the failing part...over heating on the freeway is odd since air is flowing through the radiator and cooling at its best...could also just be a bad sensor(s)

[MacDaddy]

Fan controller?

[MyXbfS4]

check all the basics, coolant leaks and such. Id recommend a fresh water pump, thermostat, upgraded aluminum thermostat housing, coolant temp sensors and fan switches... all these things could be contributing and should be replaced regularly ... its always nice to have a fresh timing belt kit with all this stuff replaced too, plus they aren't terribly expensive and I believe your BF can do it!!!! after that maybe look into a trans service....new fluid and filter and seals...always a good idea to do....other than that, maybe its because you water pump is on the way out....when you drop a gear its forces it to spin slightly higher rpm and cause it to work like its supposed too, or maybe it spinning the fan faster and the fan clutch is the failing part...over heating on the freeway is odd since air is flowing through the radiator and cooling at its best...could also just be a bad sensor(s)

When it overheats on the freeway its only in traffic which means almost every time Im on the fwy usually. Its the stop and go that makes it heat up. I know for a while one of my fans stopped working but during this time the car would over heat only after a long time. when I looked under the hood I noticed signs of a coolant leak which seemed to be caused from my reservoir literally melting. So I bought a new reservoir and after that was replaced my BF fixed the fan that was broke. However the car seemed to overheat quicker. It cools off after water is put on the radiator when its just idling. the radiator was replaced already and still no change and as mentioned above even after swapping the motor 2 different times the problem hadn't changed at all. My bf thinks its because of the heater core but I told him its probably not that because I've read through so many threads on here in addition to most people telling me its probably not that, That it doesnt seem likely. I have a place in Monrovia I can take it so I'll probably just do that to avoid any further damage, just not that excited about the $$$$$ I imagine I'll be spending but its expected, because B5S4

[MyXbfS4]

Fan controller?

How do I check that?

[james 408]

how much does it overheat? Does it go away instantly if you restart the car right away? Does it go away if you drive low rpm at 40-60mph for a distance?

If it doesn't overheat while driving it, just in traffic, i would assume it's the fan not switching on at low speeds. Your fan working when it's overheating? what about when you switch the tip?

Just pop your hood, shove your head in there under off, cold condition, warm condition, and overheating, and with tip switched. See which fans are working when.

The above posts are good, but let's not jump to any conclusions about needing to disassemble and reassemble the entire car.


don't even drive it past 65 or 70%, just let it cool. Not worth the risk. Find another ride to work if it's overheating regularly, until you can spend 30 minutes figuring it out.

[MyXbfS4]

how much does it overheat? Does it go away instantly if you restart the car right away? Does it go away if you drive low rpm at 40-60mph for a distance?

If it doesn't overheat while driving it, just in traffic, i would assume it's the fan not switching on at low speeds. Your fan working when it's overheating? what about when you switch the tip?

Just pop your hood, shove your head in there under off, cold condition, warm condition, and overheating, and with tip switched.

It gets to a little bit past the first tic if I let it get that far but I usually try to avoid it getting that hot so I dont damage it even more. If I shut it on and turn it back on its even hotter so I dont think its a glitch

And Im not shoving my head anywhere near an overheating car so thanks but I'll pass on that. Also correct me if I'm wrong but I dont believe you can switch the car to tip mode when parked so...

[MyXbfS4]

don't even drive it past 65 or 70%, just let it cool. Not worth the risk. Find another ride to work if it's overheating regularly, until you can spend 30 minutes figuring it out.

If you can figure this out in 30mins than you my friend are a B5S4 god!

It overheats while driving, the traffic just brings it on quicker. It used to overheat when it was really Hot outside but it does it even on the rare occasion when its raining here.

[james 408]

you need to look at the fans or have someone diag it. It's a fan, never tried but i think i've seen them slowed with your tongue. Just don't open anything under there while you're observing (look and listen, don't shove your tongue in there).

And no i'm not saying i can solve it in 30 minutes, i'm saying i can look at your fans in 30 minutes under all conditions. if it overheats while driving above 40mph cruising, then it's probably not the fans. I'm a bit confused as to the facts at this point.

[james 408]

it also doesn't need to be overheating, the fan comes on at whatever temp sensor you have in there, or doesn't if the sensor is bad or there's a problem with the fan controller, the electronics, or the fan itself. But if memory serves i read a forum post at some point about a tip having a separate fan, and this may be the cause of your temp dropping with that on.

It could also be any of the other issues, but if you don't eliminate them either by swapping parts, or observing/testing... then obviously you'll never know!

[MyXbfS4]

you need to look at the fans or have someone diag it. It's a fan, never tried but i think i've seen them slowed with your tongue. Just don't open anything under there while you're observing (look and listen, don't shove your tongue in there).

And no i'm not saying i can solve it in 30 minutes, i'm saying i can look at your fans in 30 minutes under all conditions. if it overheats while driving above 40mph cruising, then it's probably not the fans. I'm a bit confused as to the facts at this point.

it does overheat above 40. I think at this point its probably several factors contributing to the overheating because the conditions always vary making it difficult to see a pattern. the only thing that repeats itself is once it get hot I usually stop with the car still running I put water on the radiator and it starts to cool down and the needle moves quickly to the middle again.

[james 408]

well look, you know the service history. If you replaced the engine and or timing accessories, and other parts attached to the engine, and the problem persists, its probably not those, am i right? now that leaves the piping, the radiator, the fan, or somebodys oddball suggestion of it being the tranny slipping. All possibilities. Now the coolant seems in good order? we can start seeing if cooling is circulating properly, or we can make sure the fan works, or we can use factors like how the transmission is performing to eliminate that option. Deductive reasoning until you find it.

now the fact you say it actually gets hotter after shutting the engine off, makes me think your after-run system is also not functioning. this could be a separate issue entirely as i believe that runs off the electric waterpump and a separate sensor. But this is likely not the cause of your overheating issue, but rather a second issue that should be addressed.

[james 408]

and again, you pour water on the radiator, and it seems to cool the car down. yet another thing that shows me the coolant is likely flowing okay, it's just the radiator isn't effectively cooling the coolant. again, i point to the fans as the most likely culprit.

[MacDaddy]

How do I check that?

Start it up cold after sitting overnight with the AC off (econ light on on hvac controller) when you turn the ac on the electric fans should come on right away (the rear one for sure not 100% about the front one as canadian cars dont have the front fan, but im assuming both) if they dont come on thats your issue.

Also did you bleed the air out, there is an air bleeder screw on the drivers side of the car next to the PS pump, also if you plugged the lines to the heater core instead of connecting the hoses together that could cause and air pocket issue too.

Pro tip to air bleeding is hold the overflow tank up high so its the highest point in the system.

Generally the s4 thermostats are fail open type so im sure one of these suggestions will at least help

[MyXbfS4]

.
also if you plugged the lines to the heater core instead of connecting the hoses together that could cause and air pocket issue too.

I think this is the problem as my bf just mentioned something about the those hoses not connecting the proper way or something along those lines, which means he most likely new this whole time as hes the one who bypassed the heater core. Grrrrrr.

Will start here and let everyone know if this was it. thanks

[MyXbfS4]

Just to update,(sorry for the delay) it appears the new coolant reservoir I recently put on was cracked causing me to lose a lot of coolant which wasn't immediately noticeable so I had no idea. also I believe at one point the wrong fan was installed which still worked for a while but then stopped. the car still overheated when the fan worked so I'm hoping with the correct working one and new reservoir it will make a difference and keep the car at normal temps. its in the shop now so I will update when I find out more. thanks again for the help


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[MyXbfS4]

Hey guys I need some help, So The car has been in the shop for over a month and after spending a ridiculous amount of money having almost every possible thing replaced or fixed related to the cooling system ... it still overheats the very first day I had it back it had the exact same problem as before. so I took it back and now the shop is suggesting it could be related to the cats. Could this be the issue and if so should they have been able to tell me that before racking up a huge bill doing other stuff that still didn't fix it? I'm really frustrated because I feel like Im right back where I started and my time and money was wasted

[Speed4Avant]

Hey guys I need some help, So The car has been in the shop for over a month and after spending a ridiculous amount of money having almost every possible thing replaced or fixed related to the cooling system ... it still overheats the very first day I had it back it had the exact same problem as before. so I took it back and now the shop is suggesting it could be related to the cats. Could this be the issue and if so should they have been able to tell me that before racking up a huge bill doing other stuff that still didn't fix it? I'm really frustrated because I feel like Im right back where I started and my time and money was wasted

cats causing overheating seems pretty far off

[MacDaddy]

Plugged cats the exhaust generally smells like ass. Sounds like the shop doesnt have a clue, did you do what i said with the fans?

[MyXbfS4]

cats causing overheating seems pretty far off

Thank you, just wanted to make sure I wasnt crazy for thinking that as well.

Plugged cats the exhaust generally smells like ass. Sounds like the shop doesnt have a clue, did you do what i said with the fans?

Yeah and both fans were replaced now and when I got it back the first time they seemed to be working great but then my coolant warning light came on and the temp gauge started to go up so I took it back and when I picked it up the second time they had me drive it around to test it, I did and noticed I couldnt here the fans and the temp gauge started creeping up again. so I guess the fans were on but just not on higher like they are suppose to in the event the car is overheating.

[rguil]

coolant expansion tank cap not retaining pressure perhaps? or did you already replace it

[MyXbfS4]

coolant expansion tank cap not retaining pressure perhaps? or did you already replace it

also replaced with a brand new one from dealership.

They actually called me a couple of hours ago to come check out the car after they had it all day sounding pretty convinced it was fixed, however after driving it for about 10mins with the air conditioner on, the gauge again started to go passed the middle to about the first tick so I went back to show him how nothing improved. The shop owner is convinced the motor itself isnt really overheating but rather its the gauge not reading the temp properly. The control module hasnt been changed and when I inquired whether that could be a contributing factor he looked like I was talking non sense and was certain it couldnt be the problem. Its one of the very few things that wasnt replaced so I thought its possible, I think lol

[MacDaddy]

Ive never heard of the fans failing, i have heard of the fan controller failing, based on the idiot shop just throwing parts at it im willing to bet thats the problem

[MyXbfS4]

Ive never heard of the fans failing, i have heard of the fan controller failing, based on the idiot shop just throwing parts at it im willing to bet thats the problem

I think so too, because everything else has already been replaced. I really wish someone on here could go with me to the shop to tell this fool hes crazy lol

[MacDaddy]

If you want to buy me a plane ticket to cali ill do it, lol

[MyXbfS4]

If you want to buy me a plane ticket to cali ill do it, lol

How about you drive so our cars can meet! haha Yours might encourage mine to get her shit together and stop overheating.

So the fan controller has been replaced and it still overheats Next on the list is putting the correct radiator since it has one from an A4 apparently. Not sure if that make a big enough difference since it overheated even with the correct one in it. Im starting to think my car hates me

[rguil]

How about you drive so our cars can meet! haha Yours might encourage mine to get her shit together and stop overheating.

So the fan controller has been replaced and it still overheats Next on the list is putting the correct radiator since it has one from an A4 apparently. Not sure if that make a big enough difference since it overheated even with the correct one in it. Im starting to think my car hates me

You can find on vcds the coolant temp that the ecu is seeing. The green top coolant temp sensor in the back of the engine is actually two sensors in one. So the ecu might think coolant temp is fine but the gauge is off.
There is also a temp sensor on the lower radiator hose that is used for the fan controller but i dont know if VCDS can see it.
You could get a new green top coolant sensor and measure the difference in resistances between the new and old sensor at different tempetures.

You could also measure coolant temp with a fancy volt meter with a thermocoupler interface, either IR or a wire measuring the coolant pipe on the back of the engine or in the expansion tank, should get a decent enough measurement to see if your actually overheating.

Also perhaps the last owner used crap coolant that clogged the block unless this issue just poped up
Also, when your crusing around what temp does your oil sit at?

Dont worry about your b5 s4 hating you, mine hates me too.

[killerkali]

You can find on vcds the coolant temp that the ecu is seeing. The green top coolant temp sensor in the back of the engine is actually two sensors in one. So the ecu might think coolant temp is fine but the gauge is off.
There is also a temp sensor on the lower radiator hose that is used for the fan controller but i dont know if VCDS can see it.
You could get a new green top coolant sensor and measure the difference in resistances between the new and old sensor at different tempetures.

You could also measure coolant temp with a fancy volt meter with a thermocoupler interface, either IR or a wire measuring the coolant pipe on the back of the engine or in the expansion tank, should get a decent enough measurement to see if your actually overheating.

Also perhaps the last owner used crap coolant that clogged the block unless this issue just poped up
Also, when your crusing around what temp does your oil sit at?

Dont worry about your b5 s4 hating you, mine hates me too.

Agreed, check with vagcom that your temp readings at least all match. There plenty of helpful b5 enthusiasts in socal, check on the FB groups if you need help.

[MyXbfS4]

You can find on vcds the coolant temp that the ecu is seeing. The green top coolant temp sensor in the back of the engine is actually two sensors in one. So the ecu might think coolant temp is fine but the gauge is off.
There is also a temp sensor on the lower radiator hose that is used for the fan controller but i dont know if VCDS can see it.
You could get a new green top coolant sensor and measure the difference in resistances between the new and old sensor at different tempetures.

You could also measure coolant temp with a fancy volt meter with a thermocoupler interface, either IR or a wire measuring the coolant pipe on the back of the engine or in the expansion tank, should get a decent enough measurement to see if your actually overheating.

Also perhaps the last owner used crap coolant that clogged the block unless this issue just poped up
Also, when your crusing around what temp does your oil sit at?

Dont worry about your b5 s4 hating you, mine hates me too.

Thanks for all the suggestions, unfortunately all of that has already been done so thats whats so frustrating. I guess after changing the module today they did some more scanning and testing and confirmed the actual temp is only 1° off from the gauge so it is in fact overheating the way it shows.

[MyXbfS4]

they said the top of the radiator is reading hot while the bottom reads cold so thats why replacing the radiator with the correct one is next.
Does anyone have the correct part # for the radiator for a Tip the shop said there are 3 different ones and supposedly 1 of the 3 cost $800ish which sounds a little(lot) high.

Thanks for all the replies, all the info everyones giving really helped me call the shop out on their shit which I dont think they expected

[themadscientist]

First thing you need to do is get it the hell of out of that shop since they obviously have no clue what they're doing. Cooling systems are very simple, especially on a 2.7t. There's no big mystery, no intense diagnostics. Unless it's mechanical (blockage, head gasket, damaged water pump, etc) then this should be in and out in short order. Period.

Has anyone confirmed that the lower radiator hose thermal switch is completing it's respective circuits at low and high fan speed?

For dummies: Ground out the pin 5 at the FCM for high pressure AC switch/high command thermal switch. This will run both fans at high speed. Confirm high speed fans. Ground pin 3 at FCM for low pressure switch and low command thermal switch. This will run fans at low speed. Confirm fans at low speed.

Still overheating (Y/N)

(Y) - Check condition of water pump, replace thermostat with OEM thermostat.

Still overheating (Y/N)

(Y) - Perform block (hydrocarbon) test

If all of that checks out, then you can start going down rabbit holes with clogged radiators, blocked hoses and passages, etc.

[MyXbfS4]

First thing you need to do is get it the hell of out of that shop since they obviously have no clue what they're doing. Cooling systems are very simple, especially on a 2.7t. There's no big mystery, no intense diagnostics. Unless it's mechanical (blockage, head gasket, damaged water pump, etc) then this should be in and out in short order. Period.

Has anyone confirmed that the lower radiator hose thermal switch is completing it's respective circuits at low and high fan speed?

For dummies: Ground out the pin 5 at the FCM for high pressure AC switch/high command thermal switch. This will run both fans at high speed. Confirm high speed fans. Ground pin 3 at FCM for low pressure switch and low command thermal switch. This will run fans at low speed. Confirm fans at low speed.

Still overheating (Y/N)

(Y) - Check condition of water pump, replace thermostat with OEM thermostat.

Still overheating (Y/N)

(Y) - Perform block (hydrocarbon) test

If all of that checks out, then you can start going down rabbit holes with clogged radiators, blocked hoses and passages, etc.

Trust me EVERYTHING has now been replaced all with OEM parts. It seemed to be fine when the fans were on high until one of the fans stopped working. so it to was replaced and for some reason they both were running low after that so we replaced the temp switch and now today the FCM... still overheats. It kinda is a big mystery at this point because something is still causing it to overheat after addressing every single thing that has been suggested.

the actual mechanic working on the car is very knowledgable and I trust his work, its the shop owner who is the issue because of too many reasons. If it was just the typical stuff that was causing it my BF would have just worked on it but we couldnt firgure it out .

Im starting to think its the crack in my windshield

[MacDaddy]

How about you drive so our cars can meet! haha Yours might encourage mine to get her shit together and stop overheating.

So the fan controller has been replaced and it still overheats Next on the list is putting the correct radiator since it has one from an A4 apparently. Not sure if that make a big enough difference since it overheated even with the correct one in it. Im starting to think my car hates me

We actually do own the exact same car... Tip/onyx/laser red, mine runs tip top, i think it was built on a wednesday, lol theres only one other laser red in my area (probably province)

[MyXbfS4]

We actually do own the exact same car... Tip/onyx/laser red, mine runs tip top, i think it was built on a wednesday, lol theres only one other laser red in my area (probably province)

wanna trade?! lol

mine is a 2002 and wasnt first sold until 2003. maybe by then they just didnt care anymore and left something out. haha

[james 408]

couple things:
1) don't keep throwing money at a shop that can't figure it out. Sounds like they found multiple issues, which is good and they deserve to be paid for that. But some of the suggestions it sounds like they're making sound like red flags to me that you need to go somewhere else. Also that it's been a month and they can't solve an overheating issue is pretty insane. The shop should likely be comping the diagnosis work at this point, and you shouldn't have paid more than $300-$500 in labor total. Parts are parts so exclude that.

examples of incompetent mechanic:
a) clogged cat would have dramatic implications to the performance of the vehicle and that would be noticed independently of an overheating issue. It also has absolutely nothing to do with your problem, i guarantee it.
b) the radiator for the a4 is smaller, and while i don't know for sure, i would be highly skeptical that this is your issue.

I'm just not even convinced you've even resolved the fans issue, as it looks like you've replaced several parts related to the fan and been sent on your way, only to discover the fans weren't actually working? What is going on? There's a process of due care and dilligence that just isn't occuring.

Look i've dealt with all manner of mechanic, and i'll tell you, even if you trust them, and they're giving what sounds like good advice, that doesn't mean they know what they're doing. I'll tell you right now these guys sound like clowns. Now if they're comping the labor portion cause you'e already paid them, then let em have another go, but i wouldn't send a penny their way that isn't a clear and definitive prognosis on the(an) issue.

2) you need to eliminate things. themadscientists list is exactly how i would go about it. That there isn't a clear process of elimination from your mechanic in a linear fashion is just insane. The system is really quite simple, and the items listed by others in this thread are pretty comprehensive.
you need to confirm the fans are working properly. Then, and only then, you move onto the flow side of things (e.g. thermostat, waterpump, coolant flush/air, clogged piping, leaking piping, headgasket, etc.

I'd point you towards looking at the difference in temperature between the upper and lower radiator hoses as well, as that's a good indicator of thermostat, or circulation issues. But without knowing more about exactly what you're seeing and when, and further, not wanting to send you towards replacing another part without COMPLETELY ELIMINATING the prior steps in the diagnosis.... guessing and checking in a nonlinear fashion is a sure way to spend a lot of money and not solve an issue.

[MyXbfS4]

couple things:
1) don't keep throwing money at a shop that can't figure it out. Sounds like they found multiple issues, which is good and they deserve to be paid for that. But some of the suggestions it sounds like they're making sound like red flags to me that you need to go somewhere else. Also that it's been a month and they can't solve an overheating issue is pretty insane. The shop should likely be comping the diagnosis work at this point, and you shouldn't have paid more than $300-$500 in labor total. Parts are parts so exclude that.

examples of incompetent mechanic:
a) clogged cat would have dramatic implications to the performance of the vehicle and that would be noticed independently of an overheating issue. It also has absolutely nothing to do with your problem, i guarantee it.
b) the radiator for the a4 is smaller, and while i don't know for sure, i would be highly skeptical that this is your issue.

I'm just not even convinced you've even resolved the fans issue, as it looks like you've replaced several parts related to the fan and been sent on your way, only to discover the fans weren't actually working? What is going on? There's a process of due care and dilligence that just isn't occuring.

Look i've dealt with all manner of mechanic, and i'll tell you, even if you trust them, and they're giving what sounds like good advice, that doesn't mean they know what they're doing. I'll tell you right now these guys sound like clowns. Now if they're comping the labor portion cause you'e already paid them, then let em have another go, but i wouldn't send a penny their way that isn't a clear and definitive prognosis on the(an) issue.

2) you need to eliminate things. themadscientists list is exactly how i would go about it. That there isn't a clear process of elimination from your mechanic in a linear fashion is just insane. The system is really quite simple, and the items listed by others in this thread are pretty comprehensive.
you need to confirm the fans are working properly. Then, and only then, you move onto the flow side of things (e.g. thermostat, waterpump, coolant flush/air, clogged piping, leaking piping, headgasket, etc.

I'd point you towards looking at the difference in temperature between the upper and lower radiator hoses as well, as that's a good indicator of thermostat, or circulation issues. But without knowing more about exactly what you're seeing and when, and further, not wanting to send you towards replacing another part without COMPLETELY ELIMINATING the prior steps in the diagnosis.... guessing and checking in a nonlinear fashion is a sure way to spend a lot of money and not solve an issue.

I agree with you completely, basically my BF is the one who has continued to pay them for more and more work and when I found out how much $$ was put into it only to have the same issue I was beyond pissed because I could have bought another one that didnt overheat in pristine condition for what we've paid already

So I went to the shop alone because I was not ok with it. I dont think they expected me to know anything so as soon as I started asking questions as to why something was or wasnt done and why we were charged the amount we were charged they seemed to realize that this wasnt going to end well for them. they agreed to refund some of the money and I already made it clear that I refuse to give them a single penny more and at this point the parts and labor would be on them because its their actions and recommendations that brought us to this point so they would have to fix it.

When we took it to them we were aware that the car had some parts the would need to be replaced soon,however my BF knows how to do the majority of that stuff and the reason we took it to them is because we dont have the space to work on it and my BF figured they would be able to diagnose the overheating issue much quicker and we'd get it repaired and be on our way. it started out with one of the fans that we knew wasnt working so it was replaced. then it was a cracked resevoir, then several cracked hoses, then the water pump, etc etc. then at some point my BF told them to do the whole timing belt, thermostat, water pump job just to get it out of the way while it was there. and while it might not have got done it the right order at this point everything has been replaced or checked that everyone has listed.

I have referenced everything you guys have suggested and have officially yelled at them to get them to actually take me serious and now they are trying to figure it out. They arent open on Sundays and it appears they were there until 4am working on it. which just tells me they still cant figure it out.

If EVERYTHING suggested has been done and still no luck, what would be the next step? besides pushing it off a cliff lol