VW Golf MK3 overheating

[diceyjase]

Can anyone offer any advice I've tried searching but no luck so far. I have very little mechanical knowledge so please bear with me and explain to me in plain english.

I've got a MK3 Golf GTi 8v with 90,000 miles, recently after about 30- 45 minutes of driving the temperature gauge is going up. I look under the bonnet and the coolant reservoir is boiling hot and water is coming out from it. If I get on the motorway the temp goes back down again, I guess from the wind. I have to turn the engine off to let it cool down.
Can anyone tell me what I could do; money is tight at the mo so if I can avoid paying a mechanic I will.

Thanks for your help

[fraze]

Can anyone offer any advice I've tried searching but no luck so far. I have very little mechanical knowledge so please bear with me and explain to me in plain english.

I've got a MK3 Golf GTi 8v with 90,000 miles, recently after about 30- 45 minutes of driving the temperature gauge is going up. I look under the bonnet and the coolant reservoir is boiling hot and water is coming out from it. If I get on the motorway the temp goes back down again, I guess from the wind. I have to turn the engine off to let it cool down.
Can anyone tell me what I could do; money is tight at the mo so if I can avoid paying a mechanic I will.

Thanks for your help

hiya mate,
double check that the coolant level is right and that there is enough anti-freeze mixed with the water as this aids cooling. is your cooling fan cutting in, if you start the car up and just leave it ticking over with the heater blowers off the engine will get warm and when the temp gauge reaches half way the fan should cut in, if it doesn't you could have a faulty fan switch, or a sticking thermostat, check that the cooling fan turns by spinning it by hand.
the other thing could be your headgasket has gone if you take the coolant cap off and you have pressure chuffing out, or your excessive pressure comming out of the filler cap then it's odds on the gasket has gone

[diceyjase]

Thanks for your reply I'm going to have some fun tinkering with the car now....just hope I don't make it worse.