I'm having some cooling issues with my turbo 2. Firstly it leaks coolant only
when parked after driving on a hot day. I've been keeping an eye on the level and it dosen't seem to leak during driving only afterward. The second issue is the mechanical clutch fan, it's loose but not the fan itself, seems like the pulley bearings behind the pulley ( fan and pulley both have a lot of play) could this be the water pump bearings? The car never overheats while cruising only when idleing or stuck in traffic. Any knowledge or previous experience would be greatly appreciated, I really don't wanna cook my T2 in this summer heat.

 

is the fan spiining during idle?

 

Yes, the fan spins at idle. It wobbles alot but it spins.

 

Well it was the water pump bearings. I just put in a rebuilt pump the other day.
So if anyone has an overheating problem, loss of coolant and a loose mechanical fan, REPLACE THE WATER PUMP BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE! Btw, I tried to order one from the dealer, they said they couldn't get one in Canada and it was on back order from Japan. Good thing they rebuild them and sell them aftermarket.

 

Yea mine has been doing similiar weird things, and i figure it was the 45 degree celsius day(with humidity) that started all these problems for mine to. My water pump will be in monday...... might also appear that there is a pin hole leak in my rad..... have to wait till daylight for that one though.

 

I'd first test or replace the radiator cap.

 

Water pumps are designed to leak before breaking. So if you have a leaky water pump, the solution is plain. But normally if you have overheating problems only when stopped or in traffic, it is the fan clutch. Even though the fan spins it isn't spinning at full speed. You can check it by simply turning the fan when the car is stopped. It should turn, but still give some resistance as if it were full of peanut butter. If it's loose you need a new fan clutch (or e-fan).