Volkswagen Repair: Please Help I need my car!, water steam, cracked head

Question
Before I leave my house I fill up my car with water. By the time I get a mile down the road, it tells me the car is running hot and needs more water.We know it's not the radiator though.  A family member who is not a mechanic but works some on cars, said it may be the thermostat housing. This is my only means of transportation for the moment and I really need this car back in working order. Thanks for you time!

Answer
Samantha,
  You need to determine where you are losing the coolant.  You should carefully fill the engine reservoir with water so none spills over the engine.  Then you need someone to lay on the ground so they can observe the engine when you start it(do not put the vehicle in gear, just idle and observe). and from there you will get an idea of the general area where the fluid is leaking.  If there are no leaks observable, turn the engine off and then look at your oil dipstick to determine if the level is excessive (coolant in the oil).  If the level is normal, you will have to determine if the coolant is being leaked into the cylinders and that would be observable as heavy vapor from your tailpipe (indicating a cracked head, block or defective gasket). Finally, you should check to determine if you are dealing with a stuck thermostat.  Start the engine and idle in place.  If the thermostat is stuck, you will see a large amount of water/steam being forced out of your radiator overflow when the temp. starts reading at an excessive level on your dash. If this occurs, turn the engine off at this juncture, let the engine cool, and then fix the problem (I assume that you would have noticed if the fan belt is still intact and running the water pump).  Hope this helps.  Jerry