Date:         Wed, 31 May 2000 20:53:23 -0400
Reply-To:     "John P. Flaherty" <jflahert@MAINE.RR.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "John P. Flaherty" <jflahert@MAINE.RR.COM>
Subject:      Running hot........or maybe not
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Hi Volks:

In normal driving my 1984 1.9 usually runs with the temp guauge a hair past
center. It stays pretty constant there, as I'm almost never in severe enough
traffic to make it climb higher. Beginning yesterday, however, it climbed
substantially higher, stopping at slightly past halfway between the LED and
the end of the scale. It remained there, climbing no higher, but not going
down at all either. Moving/brief stopping had no effect. The van drove
normally; engine performance was fine. Except for the guage. the van didn't
act like it was running hot. The fan never came on. (Radiator switch is new
last month, and worked when tested at that time. Haven't been in heavy
enough traffic for it to come on since, but if the fan were the problem the
temp should have dropped when I hit the interstate anyway). There was no
smell of antifreeze. Engine didn't feel hotter than normal. Coolant tank
(new last month, with new pressure cap) was full. It's done this every time
I've driven it since it began yesterday. Air temperatures were in the 50-60
degree range. Van was lightly loaded (if I can be considered a light load).

So, whats the opinion....do I have an overheating problem? A temp sender
problem? A guage problem? And how do I tell?

Thanks,
John Flaherty