I posted, last week,  some ? about cooling issues I've been having with my
Jetta-powered van...overheating, some bubbles going into the expansion tank,
and then a blown out water hose repaired with some Silicone Rescue tape,
etc.  We seemed to conclude, those who read and responded, that I probably
had a headgasket issue.  After some preliminary diagnostic
parts-substitution I went ahead and ordered up a headgasket and some new
headbolts...The gasket is still "in the mail".

  Since I taped-up my hose from the head to the rear heater (the rear heater
core also had a small leak, that was removed, too)  and replaced my
thermostat, my cooling system has gone back to working without problems.
I've been commuting 75miles round trip all week and I have yet to need any
coolant, have any air-in issues, or see any odd behavior of the temp
gauge...With the new thermostat that gauge has returned to it's former
'range' just below the LED blinker..  I did get some replacment hoses but I
am still running the taped-up one.

  It seems possible now that perhaps the part of the circulatory (cooling)
system that went out of the motor to the rear heater and back may have been
the culprit, like Robert (?) suggested. Leaking air in and coolant out.

 I shall keep my fingers crossed and all those spare parts handy in the
van while I watch everything very closely indeed...

  Don Hanson