Is it common for the lower radiator hose to be cold in the winter?

[PhunkFX]

Some may have seen from prior posts that I have been having some heat and coolant leakage issues. Well, after weeks of bleeding and parts replacements, I am begining to wonder if I have a blockage somewhere in my cooling system. I have no heat or poor heat at times, the lower radiator hose is not warm in the slightest, freezing cold actually, and the car is not over heating... read on.

Here are the symptoms: hot upper rad hose and ice cold lower rad hose, very intermittent heat. Some times there is heat, usually its ice cold or takes 3 times the amount of miles over 10 - 15 miles for the air to BEGIN to get somewhat warm. Sometimes when I have heat, I'll go up or down a steep hill and the heat will then change to cold air. Occasionally I will go out to my car in the morning and there will be coolant on the ground or in the snow. I gets pushed out from the reservoir overflow. Sometimes, in attempt to bleed the heater core from the top hose under the cowl, sometimes there would be coolant and sometimes you could take the hose off entirely with no coolant coming out from the hose or the port.

Lately there has not been any coolant that was overflowed from the reservoir... though doesnt mean it wont happen again.

The following are a list of parts that were replaced in January in attempt to fix a flow or leaking issue:

Coolant expansion tank and cap
Thermostat (with the whole housing)
J-Plug
Water Pump

I have also checked all turbo connections and other engine o-rings, holes clamps, and snap connections for leaks. Everything is good. Why would the lower rad hose be cold and my car NOT be overheating. No heat, cold lower rad hose, and NOT overheating. Confusion. Thanks.

[PhunkFX]

Here is a photo of the coolant flange and J-Plug change:


Here is the broken J-Plug we pulled out, it was siliconed into the housing:

[Duchenbagen]

Have you bled your heater core at the firewall?

[akaEsCo01]

Have you bled your heater core at the firewall?

He said he did and sometimes there is coolant and sometimes there isn't.

You have two options left and you won't like either of them. It's the head gasket(my guess) or heater core. You could have a very small leak in your head gasket which is causing your cooling system to always build up air. My Jetta had the same issue. I would be able to drive for months without overheating, but when i took the head off, exhaust port 4 showed signs of a small leak. Small enough to go undetected. Do a compression test first (lower compression are signs of a leak) and check your spark plugs (white means you may have found you're culprit). I went through trial and error for about 9 months replacing everything in my cooling system until these were the only two left, I decided head gasket first because it was less of a PITA than the heater core and I was right.

The heater core would explain your heating issues, but not your cold radiator hose or overflowing tank.

[Dan[FN]6262]

I had this same exact issue. it was my headgasket.

[PhunkFX]

I had this same exact issue. it was my headgasket.

Please no. I must not understand... how would my symptoms and issues be related to a failed head gasket???

[A4SoftWalker]

^^^Head gasket failure would cause air pockets in your cooling system/lower the coolant level.

Thus creating the problems u describe.

[Dan[FN]6262]

what headbolts are you using? OEM? ARP?

[akaEsCo01]

Please no. I must not understand... how would my symptoms and issues be related to a failed head gasket???

Read my post!!!

...You could have a very small leak in your head gasket which is causing your cooling system to always build up air...

[PhunkFX]

what headbolts are you using? OEM? ARP?

ARP.

[Dan[FN]6262]

how many miles? I only had this problem when I ran ARP headbolts, I never once had this problem when running OEM TTY headbolts. I'm putting back in OEM headbolts this time around.

[PhunkFX]

I have over 3500 miles on the car with these bolts. About 1000 miles before I started having problems.

So you totally think this is a HG issue? I've replaced and have tried all other possibilites.

[Dan[FN]6262]

that's roughly how many miles I went when I started having problems