Took my car in for this problem before. After $700 they said someone had spilt something sticky, which had gone into the control panel and had caused something or other to stick and not work properly. All this after doing the coolant flush etc. It worked a bit better (not blowing really hot) but now it's not working again!

 

thermostat?

 

not sure, it's my 18 yr old daughters car. She said tonight she had the car running for about 15 minutes to clear the front window and it just got wet, I'm guessing from all the cold air. She also said that the engine temp stayed at about 60. I hate to take it in again and have them spend another 3 days and countless $$ trying to figure out what the problem is. Am going to try and check the hoses etc tomorrow.

 

You have a leak and not enough pressure. I do not believe in you 60 degrees. The leak is probably in your pump. Do not bother with hoses unless you can smell it.

 

if you drive it around for awhile and if the temp gauge doesn't move to normal op temp after it normally would your thermostat is stuck open, if it does move and and you can smell something funky inside your heater core is shot. you can bleed the heater core by pulling the left hose(when your facing it out till the hole in the hose on top is away from the nozzle start the car and let run till you see a steady little spout of antifreeze come out, you will want to put a rag underneath the hoses. I just had my A4 flushed and they told me they're notorious for becoming clogged and my coolant looked like 16th century.

 

Dirty coolant is a different territory. I never thought of this possibility. Could you post something once you flushed it? There is better way to do it - see the hose on driver's side, side of engine front at the bottom.