My well water pump is short-cycling & shuts off due to overheating. Any ideas??

Washer fills with water then drains:

The critical question is. Is the water is just running down the drain but the pump isn't running. If it is being pumped out, and you can hear the pump running just the same as when it's emptying prior to spin then it could be aborting the wash because it is, or it thinks it's overheating. ( due to defective water temperature switch)

If the pump is failing to shut off then there is something wrong with the electronics. If your washer is a mechanical timer controlled device then you may have a sticking switch (which may explain if switching cycles does something for you). But if you have an electronic timer then you may be experiencing a board failure, where a cycle is being commanded when it is not intended to by design.


If water isn't being pumped out, but just draining away all the time, the washer will keep detecting there isn't enough water inside and top up with more.
Modern washing machines should be sophisticated enough to realize something's wrong and abort with an error, but if not, it may continue washing or rinsing for a short while before losing enough water to trigger more coming in again. It can get stuck on this cycle indefinitely and it's called siphoning.
Siphoning occurs when the end of the drain hose is lower than the level of the water inside the washing machine.
Try raising the hose and see what happens.
Also the drain hose should have some type of air gap where it fits into the stand pipe. It should not have an air tight fit.

Again Either it's siphoning down the drain due to an issue with the plumbing, it's overfilling, or also if it ( THE WATER) overheats then in some machines the software will employ a fill and drain tactic to cool down the water. The important thing is to work out which of these different faults is causing the problem by careful observation.


Other switch's to check would be the water inlet valve and the water pressure switch with a multi meter for continuity or OHMS.

And in some modern washers that come with THERMISTORS:
One symptom of a washing machine that thinks it's overheating and thus fills and drains at same time ( possibly because of a faulty thermistor) is if it's filling with cold water and pumping out at the same time. This is covered in this articleWashing machine fills and drains at same timealthough the same symptom can be caused by other faults.

By the way my advice is free cuz God is good!

U MEAN DRAINS CONTINUALLY?

Washer fills with water then drains:

The critical question is. Is the water is just running down the drain but the pump isn't running. If it is being pumped out, and you can hear the pump running just the same as when it's emptying prior to spin then it could be aborting the wash because it is, or it thinks it's overheating. ( due to defective water temperature switch)

If the pump is failing to shut off then there is something wrong with the electronics. If your washer is a mechanical timer controlled device then you may have a sticking switch (which may explain if switching cycles does something for you). But if you have an electronic timer then you may be experiencing a board failure, where a cycle is being commanded when it is not intended to by design.


If water isn't being pumped out, but just draining away all the time, the washer will keep detecting there isn't enough water inside and top up with more.
Modern washing machines should be sophisticated enough to realize something's wrong and abort with an error, but if not, it may continue washing or rinsing for a short while before losing enough water to trigger more coming in again. It can get stuck on this cycle indefinitely and it's called siphoning.
Siphoning occurs when the end of the drain hose is lower than the level of the water inside the washing machine.
Try raising the hose and see what happens.
Also the drain hose should have some type of air gap where it fits into the stand pipe. It should not have an air tight fit.

Again Either it's siphoning down the drain due to an issue with the plumbing, it's overfilling, or also if it ( THE WATER) overheats then in some machines the software will employ a fill and drain tactic to cool down the water. The important thing is to work out which of these different faults is causing the problem by careful observation.


Other switch's to check would be the water inlet valve and the water pressure switch with a multi meter for continuity or OHMS.

Washer fills with water then drains:

The critical question is. Is the water is just running down the drain but the pump isn't running. If it is being pumped out, and you can hear the pump running just the same as when it's emptying prior to spin then it could be aborting the wash because it is, or it thinks it's overheating. ( due to defective water temperature switch)

If the pump is failing to shut off then there is something wrong with the electronics. If your washer is a mechanical timer controlled device then you may have a sticking switch (which may explain if switching cycles does something for you). But if you have an electronic timer then you may be experiencing a board failure, where a cycle is being commanded when it is not intended to by design.


If water isn't being pumped out, but just draining away all the time, the washer will keep detecting there isn't enough water inside and top up with more.
Modern washing machines should be sophisticated enough to realize something's wrong and abort with an error, but if not, it may continue washing or rinsing for a short while before losing enough water to trigger more coming in again. It can get stuck on this cycle indefinitely and it's called siphoning.
Siphoning occurs when the end of the drain hose is lower than the level of the water inside the washing machine.
Try raising the hose and see what happens.
Also the drain hose should have some type of air gap where it fits into the stand pipe. It should not have an air tight fit.

Again Either it's siphoning down the drain due to an issue with the plumbing, it's overfilling, or also if it ( THE WATER) overheats then in some machines the software will employ a fill and drain tactic to cool down the water. The important thing is to work out which of these different faults is causing the problem by careful observation.


Other switch's to check would be the water inlet valve and the water pressure switch with a multi meter for continuity or OHMS.

Washer fills with water then drains:

The critical question is. Is the water is just running down the drain but the pump isn't running. If it is being pumped out, and you can hear the pump running just the same as when it's emptying prior to spin then it could be aborting the wash because it is, or it thinks it's overheating. ( due to defective water temperature switch)

If the pump is failing to shut off then there is something wrong with the electronics. If your washer is a mechanical timer controlled device then you may have a sticking switch (which may explain if switching cycles does something for you). But if you have an electronic timer then you may be experiencing a board failure, where a cycle is being commanded when it is not intended to by design.


If water isn't being pumped out, but just draining away all the time, the washer will keep detecting there isn't enough water inside and top up with more.
Modern washing machines should be sophisticated enough to realize something's wrong and abort with an error, but if not, it may continue washing or rinsing for a short while before losing enough water to trigger more coming in again. It can get stuck on this cycle indefinitely and it's called siphoning.
Siphoning occurs when the end of the drain hose is lower than the level of the water inside the washing machine.
Try raising the hose and see what happens.
Also the drain hose should have some type of air gap where it fits into the stand pipe. It should not have an air tight fit.

Again Either it's siphoning down the drain due to an issue with the plumbing, it's overfilling, or also if it ( THE WATER) overheats then in some machines the software will employ a fill and drain tactic to cool down the water. The important thing is to work out which of these different faults is causing the problem by careful observation.


Other switch's to check would be the water inlet valve and the water pressure switch with a multi meter for continuity or OHMS.

Sounds like heater coil problem, or most likely switch for the heater coil.

Washer fills with water then drains:

The critical question is. Is the water is just running down the drain but the pump isn't running. If it is being pumped out, and you can hear the pump running just the same as when it's emptying prior to spin then it could be aborting the wash because it is, or it thinks it's overheating. ( due to defective water temperature switch)

If the pump is failing to shut off then there is something wrong with the electronics. If your washer is a mechanical timer controlled device then you may have a sticking switch (which may explain if switching cycles does something for you). But if you have an electronic timer then you may be experiencing a board failure, where a cycle is being commanded when it is not intended to by design.


If water isn't being pumped out, but just draining away all the time, the washer will keep detecting there isn't enough water inside and top up with more.
Modern washing machines should be sophisticated enough to realize something's wrong and abort with an error, but if not, it may continue washing or rinsing for a short while before losing enough water to trigger more coming in again. It can get stuck on this cycle indefinitely and it's called siphoning.
Siphoning occurs when the end of the drain hose is lower than the level of the water inside the washing machine.
Try raising the hose and see what happens.
Also the drain hose should have some type of air gap where it fits into the stand pipe. It should not have an air tight fit.

Again Either it's siphoning down the drain due to an issue with the plumbing, it's overfilling, or also if it ( THE WATER) overheats then in some machines the software will employ a fill and drain tactic to cool down the water. The important thing is to work out which of these different faults is causing the problem by careful observation.


Other switch's to check would be the water inlet valve and the water pressure switch with a multi meter for continuity or OHMS.

And in some modern washers that come with THERMISTORS:
One symptom of a washing machine that thinks it's overheating and thus fills and drains at same time ( possibly because of a faulty thermistor) is if it's filling with cold water and pumping out at the same time. This is covered in this articleWashing machine fills and drains at same timealthough the same symptom can be caused by other faults.

By the way my advice is free cuz God is good!

The critical question is. Is the water is just running down the drain but the pump isn't running. If it is being pumped out, and you can hear the pump running just the same as when it's emptying prior to spin then it could be aborting the wash because it is, or it thinks it's overheating. ( due to defective water temperature switch)

If the pump is failing to shut off then there is something wrong with the electronics. If your washer is a mechanical timer controlled device then you may have a sticking switch (which may explain if switching cycles does something for you). But if you have an electronic timer then you may be experiencing a board failure, where a cycle is being commanded when it is not intended to by design.


If water isn't being pumped out, but just draining away all the time, the washer will keep detecting there isn't enough water inside and top up with more.
Modern washing machines should be sophisticated enough to realize something's wrong and abort with an error, but if not, it may continue washing or rinsing for a short while before losing enough water to trigger more coming in again. It can get stuck on this cycle indefinitely and it's called siphoning.
Siphoning occurs when the end of the drain hose is lower than the level of the water inside the washing machine.
Try raising the hose and see what happens.
Also the drain hose should have some type of air gap where it fits into the stand pipe. It should not have an air tight fit.

Again Either it's siphoning down the drain due to an issue with the plumbing, it's overfilling, or also if it ( THE WATER) overheats then in some machines the software will employ a fill and drain tactic to cool down the water. The important thing is to work out which of these different faults is causing the problem by careful observation.


Other switch's to check would be the water inlet valve and the water pressure switch with a multi meter for continuity or OHMS.

And in some modern washers that come with THERMISTORS:
One symptom of a washing machine that thinks it's overheating and thus fills and drains at same time ( possibly because of a faulty thermistor) is if it's filling with cold water and pumping out at the same time. This is covered in this articleWashing machine fills and drains at same timealthough the same symptom can be caused by other faults.

By the way my advice is free cuz God is good!

replace pump windings are shorting out

The thermostat is bolted into the bottom of the water pump, the lower radiator hose connects to a cover that holds the thermostat to the water pump.

the thermostat can be difficult to get at because the AC and power steering pump are all bolted on top of the water pump,

Your problem may not be a bad thermostat.
I would also check:

1) water pump, some of the vw pumps are poorly made & tend to go bad.

2) fans belts, it can be tricky to get the right tension on these belts due to a badly designed tensioner system on the power steering & water pump belt.

3) hoses, radiator, coolant tank,. the radiators and coolant tank tend to leak when they get old, the plastic cracks or the rubber seals go bad.
Also check the electrical system controlling the engine cooling fans. there are sensors and relays that can go bad.
I have owned 8 vw's most of the major problems with these cars was due to electical problems.

4) Engine problems such as a blown head gaskets, or ignition timing problems can cause overheating. luckily VW engines usually don't have these problems, unlike other companies 4 cylinder engines (the Dodge Neons for example)

The other mechanic is correct. Your timing belt is due to be replaced. When you have it replaced, make sure you replace the water pump while you're there.