Hot Engine Indicator

[sevieri]

First off ... I know pretty much bugger all about cars.
Other day i was driving home and the hot engine indicator went off on my VY. Pulled over and gave it a rest and checked the coolant. All fine. Drove off again after it cooled down and manged to get home on probs.
Checked the oil and it was very low ... Added some oil and rested it for a day.
Hopped in today and drove it about 5km and the hot engine indicator came on, started steaming and fans were working overtime.
Its booked in for a service next week (90k service - im about a month too late for it)
Just wondering what i could be up for as in engine damage?
There are no odd noises being made and i didnt notice any prior to the engine overheating.
Anyways ... Cheers and any ideas would be great

[TheIceman]

who knows, they will tell ya when they get it but worst of all blown head gaskets but you have to really cook a V6 to do that. maybe blocked radiator if you say its full of water or stuck thermostat.

[Sean880]

If you are lucky it will just be a faulty thermostat but I suspect you may have a faulty water pump.

Always check your fluid levels weekly. If you are not sure how for any of these read your owner's manual These are:

Engine oil level
Radiator coolant
Auto Transmission Fluid(At least monthly) or Manual Clutch Fluid (weekly)
Power Steering Fluid
Brake Fluid

If you have had a low engine oil reading, check it daily and also see if you can locate any obvious external leak points.

Owners that do not check fluid levels between services (which seems to be typical for many people these days) are just asking for trouble.

[sevieri]

Thanks guys ...
Will start paying more attention to the fluids