A2 heater problems

[a2tony]

Hi, I own a A2 with heater blower which only will blow cold air.
It is a 2002/03, 1.4 TDi without air con. When I first got it I had to bleed the cooling system and found this solved the problem. However summer came and I stopped using the the blower on hot. Once winter came I found the same problem again, but this time it didn,t need bleeding.
Also duing the summer I took the car on a long trip on slow widing roads, where the car got hot and started to over heat. I was surprised that the cooling fan didn't cut in. Once the switch was brigded out the fan cut in. I fitted a new switch but have never had time to test it.
The engine gets to running temp. as normal but the heater still is cold. I feel that the thermostat is not working properly unless I rev the car at high revs.
Is this a common problem with this model, or even vehicles that don't do must milage per week.
Please help, as I don't really what to change the thermostat if I don't have to. Thanks.

[a2tony]

At first I changed the thermostat, which after I bleed the cooling system all seemed well, until I took it on a long motor way run. I checked the water pump through the thermostat housing and it seemed fine. But the cooling system still seemed to under high pressure even after the engine had only been run for small periods.
So I bite the bullet and went for the head gasket. It wasn,t an easy job, even with help from friends, (I wouldn't advise you try to take the head of unless you have worked on diesal heads before,). After a week (head skimmed, pressure testing, new gaskets and oil seals) and alot of hard work the was back on the road, in full working order. Months later no problems at all.
Looking at the Gasket you would have said there was nothing wrong with it. However after the problems I've had, I would't think twice about these symptons beening caused by the head gasket.