Hi,

My Brava 1.9 SX TD is like 7 years old. I've bought it last summer, and
it's pissing me off with engine overheating problems. The first thing
happened when the first colds came up (about  - 15C) in autumn. By driving
to work (5 km) the engine overheated. Added cooler - worked fine for
several weeks. Then temperature indicator went out, so i changed it and
also asked in garage to look for cooler leaks. The gys told it don't leak,
but they refilled cooling system with new cooler. And then the same
overheating problem ocuured once in a month. In spring I drove for about
200 km (well, my girlfriend was driving), and car work fine at the
begining. You know that switch which regulates salon temperature? So after
like 70 kilos I turn that from hot till semi-hot. And after like 10 kilos I
notice, that air flowing in salon is not semi hot, but its COLD. I look at
the temperature measure - the engine is OVERHATING. We stop. Some guy gives
as a pull for 40 kilos. I go with hood slightly open, just to cool off my
engine. So after pull, only 60 kilos left to go. I add cooler, turn salon
temperature swith back to hot, and drive 60 kilos without overheating.
So we reach the destination (my dads home), and we spend a day with pumping
hoses, trying to remove airlocks. The car works fine. Next day going back
home. And after like 50 kilos I turn salon heat swith from hot till semi -
hot (OMG, I wish I wasn't). After 10 km the engine is overheated once
again. We stop and wait. After half an hour, we drive again. The heat
switch is turned back to hot, but the air coming to salon is cold. I play
with that swith, turning him up and down. To our luck the hot air begins to
flow, and the engine heat is normal for 150 km, driving 120km/h. Several
weeks car worked fine - as I wasn't touching salon heating switch (leaving
him in HOT position). Last Tuesday took car to professional garage. After
the day, they brought my car back. They unaired cooling system, cleaned fan
contacts, and added cooler (1 litre was missing). The car worked fine (as I
switched salon heat temperature from cold to hot several times) for TWO
FCKN DAYS. yesterday the engine Overheated once again. The thing is that
the radiator is cold, but the engine is hot as hell. Airlock? maybe, but
then it says, that the air or gas is somehow getting into cooling system.
As i read several forums, I thought it may be head gaskets, or some
unspotted leak through hose connections. I am depressed. I like my car so
much, but these problems are making me really mad, I want to take bat and
to do some nasty bodywork, just to do some anger management:]]]

I'll update this, when take my car to garage to try it get fixed.