How to tell if my car is heating up enough

[DuBbEr91]

Hi, I have a 94 golf. My car overheated, and the heater core started leaking and a hose developed a leak. The previous owner had the fan wired to a 15 amp toggle switch. I got stuck in traffic. So I figured this was the culprit. I got the car back from the garage. They fixed the heater and the hose. I drove it home then to work. 20 minutes and 40 minutes just fine. I left work and it overheated about a mile down the road. It took me forever to get home stopping to let it cool down. So, I changed the thermostat, added some coolant(just what I had. I thought I had more.). So it overheated a little it went up to 230degrees. So I topped the coolant off and drove it an hour and 30 minutes to a camp site each way, and the temp never went above 160.

I was wandering could I have broken my thermostat already.

It's about 50 degrees outside. So could that keep it from warming up?

Or could the thermostat have been faulty new. Is there really anyway to tell without dropping the power steering pump and pulling it ou?

[OddJobb]

So it overheated a little it went up to 230degrees. So I topped the coolant off and drove it an hour and 30 minutes to a camp site each way, and the temp never went above 160.

Sounds like you had an air pocket trapped int e system. This is pretty common. I doubt a new thermostat would be defective and the only way to test it is to take it out.

[DuBbEr91]

Yeah I think I had an air pocket. When I topped it off I "burped" it haha I believe that's what everyone calls it.

So you're saying the temp not going above 160 on an hour and a half ride is nothing to sweat over? It was all highway.

[ps2375]

Normally should go to 190*. Could also depend upon what temp thermostat you installed. I would get the fan controls fixed, as you can't always remember to turn on the fan.(Or to turn it off.)