VW Up Overheating: Dead Radiator Fan Causing Crisis

As someone with moderate car repair experience, I had a similar cooling system issue with my 2019 VW Polo, which shares many components with your Up. The car radiator was operating normally, but the fan motor completely stopped working, leading to car overheating issues. The temperature control gauge showed the same symptoms, climbing into the red zone especially during idle or slow traffic. After taking it to a workshop, they diagnosed a faulty fan motor and a damaged thermal switch. The total repair cost was 250€, which included parts and labor. Since the fix, the cooling system has worked perfectly with no temperature issues. Before suggesting specific solutions for your case, could you provide: Current mileage, When the problem first started, Any unusual sounds before the fan stopped working, Whether the issue occurs more during city driving or highway speeds, If any coolant leaks are visible This information would help determine if your issue matches what I experienced and whether you might need similar repairs. Remember that continuing to drive with an overheating engine can cause severe damage, so getting it checked soon is important.

Last service was done at 60000km and my current mileage is 64106km. The issue started last week during city driving. No unusual sounds preceded the fan motor failure. The car overheating happens mainly in slow traffic and when idling, less so on highways. No visible coolant leaks anywhere underneath the car. The fan blade appears intact but the fan motor wont spin even when manually tested. Comparing your repair costs to local quotes, it seems the 250€ price range is standard for this type of cooling system repair. Think I will proceed with replacing both the fan motor and thermal switch based on the matching symptoms. Better to fix it properly now than risk more extensive engine damage from continued overheating.

Thanks for providing those details, they confirm this is nearly identical to what I experienced with my Polo. The symptoms match exactly, especially the fan motor failing during city driving without warning and the overheating mainly occurring in slow traffic. Since you mentioned manually testing the fan motor with no response, that definitely points to a failed fan motor unit. The car radiator fan assembly should activate even at idle when temperatures rise, so this confirms the diagnosis. One thing I noticed after my repair, the cooling system performed noticeably better with both components replaced together. The new fan motor and thermal switch worked in perfect sync, maintaining ideal engine temperatures even in stop-and-go traffic. The 250€ repair cost is reasonable considering the parts involved. Make sure they use OEM or high-quality equivalent parts for the fan blade and motor assembly to avoid potential issues down the line. While the repair is being done, it would be worth having them check the entire cooling system, including the coolant level and condition, just to ensure there are no other developing issues that could cause problems later.

Thanks for confirming my suspicions about the cooling system problems. Your experience with the similar repair is really helpful. The matching symptoms and repair costs give me confidence about proceeding with the fix. Going to book the repair next week and will have them replace both the fan motor and thermal switch together. Makes sense that these parts work best as a matched set for proper temperature control. The 250€ price seems fair for the work involved. Will definitely ask them to inspect the whole cooling system while they have it apart. Better to catch any other potential issues now rather than face another car overheating situation later. The radiator fan failure really made me nervous about potential engine damage, so getting this sorted quickly is a priority. Going to avoid any unnecessary city driving until the repair is done since thats when the overheating is worst. Will update once its fixed in case others have similar issues in the future.