From the workshop manual AUA that end of the engine features the coolant pump - it is sprocket-driven by a belt - don't know much more than that, I'm afraid.
Edited to add :
having looked at the parts diagram, there is a pipe that runs across the back of the engine from the thermostat housing to the water pump.
It has a part number 032121065D.
This is the same part number as the well known "pipe of death" in the 1.6FSi BAD engine (having just compared the parts diagrams in 7zap), although less prone to failure in the 1.4 normally because of lower operating temperature in the 1.4 engine.
Apparently it is prone to failure at the water pump end if it is going to fail - I don't want to spoil your day but that is where I would start looking. The good news is that replacements (also plastic but 20 years newer) appear to be readily available (it is used in a huge range of VAG vehicles) at acceptable prices (mostly <£20).
have sent a direct message. Good that there is a local garage, hope they're competent!Thanks Robin. Have managed to get a garage 100m down the road to agree to look at it. Waiting until engine is cold to touch before moving.
They're only going to be able to look at it later in the week... I'll feed back findings for everyone else once they have.
Chrs Richard
Okay, so across your post and Robins post, i should prepare myself for some quite heavy labour hours if they are able to do the job.I am far more intimate with the cooling system of the 1.4 AUA petrol that I would like.
Mine has had two (and more) issues with coolant loss.
1) The top of the rear coolant pipe. This is a hard plastic pipe at the rear of the engine that goes from the thermostat housing on the top right of the engine into the block on the lower left of the engine. When purchased mine had a drip from the o ring at the top right into the thermostat housing.
2) Recently the lower seal of that same pipe has started to leak, again its just a o-ring.
The slightly bad news is this is pain in the backside of a job to do, but the parts are not expensive.
This fixed my AUA venting coolant from the expansion bottle. The only difference I could see between the old and new cap was a few chewed threads on the old cap but it's workedCheapest and quickest thing to do it replace the expansion tank cap as it could be allowing coolant to vent.