Date:         Sat, 10 Jun 2000 19:13:03 -0500
Reply-To:     John Rodgers <inua@HIWAAY.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         John Rodgers <inua@HIWAAY.NET>
Subject:      Cooling System Weirdness
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I have the dread flashing red LED syndrome.....you know...the one in the
temperature indicator gage on the instrument panel. You knoww....the
coolant level sensor indicator light..

I was tooling down Interstate 65 heading South from Birmingham, AL to
attend a party in honor my neice who received her PhD in Pharmacology
this Friday past.

All of a sudden I realize the red light is blinking....startled me! Then
I realized the temperature needle was only 1/2 needle width off the
"Cold!" peg. And this on a day of temperatures in the '90's. Spooked me.
I turned on the heat to see if I was getting water up front and I got
plenty of heat. As a matter of fact the needle moved towards an even
colder setting.

I have a pretty good understanding of how the system is supposed to
work, but I never saw this before. That light blinking really worries
me. The sensor is relatively new as is the coolant. Coolant is topped
up, and no apparent air bubbles.

My engine blew up on me last fall, and because of the type of failure, I
am really gun-shy about overheating., low oil, lean mixture conditions,
etc.

Anyone on the list have any clues? Would appreciate hearing from you.

BTW, I also learned the hard way last year that if you are going in a
fairly tight right hand turn for a time, as in on an entry or exit ramp,
and you get a white smoke behind you.......#3 cylinder is likely about
to fail. Have a compression check.

Thanks,

John Rodgers
"88 GL Driver