My 1999 Volkswagen Beetle keeps getting hot and it has antifreeze in it. What could make it get hot?

My 1999 Volkswagen Beetle keeps getting hot and when I check it in the morning, it has antifreeze in it. What could be making it get hot?|||You could have several causes of running hot: you need to check if thermostat is working (not stuck closed); are the radiator fans operational (when the vehicle engine temp is hot, you ought be able to hear the radiator fans operate); poor circulation thru the radiator; or a fairly common issue is the water pump impeller not circulating the water. (As I remember, I think it was 2000 or 2001 when VW changed the impeller design )





My suggestion is that you take the vehicle to a VW specialist to have the cooling system operation put under a diagnosis to determine the cause of the overheating. Avoid driving the vehicle as much as possible, driving the vehicle hot can lead to expensive repairs such as a blown head gasket.





Hope this helps, a car nut.|||You need to know that not only is the coolant level correct but also is it's quality good and it's mixture proper via using a anti-freeze tester.Also be sure that your thermostat is is working right and that there's no leaks, plus be sure the water pump is working right and that the fan or fans are engaging once the engine sits idling awhile.





If you notice that once the vehicle sits at a light or stop sign etc it starts to over heat it's probably fan related so check the fan fuse and relay , plus the fans wiring and the fan itself.





If it never over heats while driving hwy speeds you can be pretty sure that the water pump and thermostat is working.








Hope that helps and best of luck.By the way it not be a bad idea to go to a library and get some literature or buy yourself a service manual so you can have step by step trouble shooting check lists etc to follow etc.|||is it running hot or is the gauge just showing it is hot. make sure the coolant bottle it topped of, the coolant temp sensor is not bad and the system does not have too much air in it.





this is a list of problems for false over heats other wise what the other guys say.