overheating but freezing inside

[plymouthpolo]

hi ppl,, my polo decided to overheat,, i automatically turned on inside heaters expecting the usual saunalike heat i have grown used to,, only to recieve a gobfull of lukewarm air!! have given the pipes a good squeeze and although there was pleanty of pressure in the system and fluid levels not changed,, pipes were very squishy.
either side of radiator the pipes show no blockage thru the lump and back to header,, dont no from header to radiator tho.
no visable slippage on pump exterior altho cant vouch for internall soundness,, shall i just get new water pump?! ptb asap as motor factors closes at midday n got work tomoz lol

ps typical that its run to the sun this weekend and i only live 45 miles away!a

 

[T9 man]

Well with my limited knowledge the water pump does sound suspect. I would also replace the thermostat too. Hopefully somebody will be along very shortly to advise you better. Good luck buddy

 

[plymouthpolo]

cheers,, just to add that the voltage out the thermostat is getting bigger as engine warms up and i have noticed that the inlet pipe to the rad is alot warmer than the one at the bottom... pretty much tell-tale isnt it?

 

[T9 man]

cheers,, just to add that the voltage out the thermostat is getting bigger as engine warms up and i have noticed that the inlet pipe to the rad is alot warmer than the one at the bottom... pretty much tell-tale isnt it?

I might be wrong here, but I think you are referring to the thermostat that controls the electric fan here and not the thermostat that I don't think is opening by the water pump.

 

[HDi fun]

If the coolant isn't moving about or is absent (both situations are bad) then you will have exactly those symptoms.

 

[robinvr]

The biggest problem with an old waterpump is leakage at the bearings why it is not turning very well. If that aint the problem maybe the heating radiator leaks?

 

[pgarner]

take the themostat out and make sure its opening and closing by hooking a peice of wire around it and drop it into a pan of boiling water. if not this is your problem.
id have checked this out 1st as its easier to get to, 3 cap screws i think, rather than having to basically change the timing belt to get the waterpump out