Q: Audi A3 2001 1.6L - Overheats and goes back to normal

asked by on October 09, 2016

Some weeks ago my cooling system started having some problems. My engine temperature on the cluster shows from 60'C - 120'C. The car started getting stuck on 105'C and both fans hit in. Then thought the thermostat housing with the temperature sensor was bad and replaced it. After i replaced it my temperature needle automatic goes up to 78'C when i turn on the ignition and both my fans will start. The temperature will slowly rise up to 105'C again and stays there for a minute or two then it will go back towards 90'C. Again after 1-2 minutes it will slowly go up to 105'C. It keeps doing this as long i am driving. I am thinking maybe of a bad water pump, but will they turn on the fans at max speed when i turn on the ignition?

My car has 113000 miles.
My car has a manual transmission.

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This is a sign of a faulty coolant fan relay switch. When this is not working properly, this can cause the fans to come on intermittently, or sometimes stay on all the time or not come on at all. When they do not come on at the right temperatures, this will cause the overheating as you describe. A certified YourMechanic technician can come to your location to perform a Car is overheating Inspection on your vehicle and help you diagnose and repair this issue.

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