Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2001 21:18:42 -0600
Reply-To: John Rodgers <jhrodgers@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <jhrodgers@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Catastrophe!! The rest of the story.
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
I left off where the all the warning lights came on in the instrument
panel, and I left the highway and stopped. I got a tow truck and got the
Red Brick home. This was on Thursday night. That same night I went and
got a belt set from my flaps.
This morning, Friday, I installed the new belts. Checked the oil....it
was midway between the marks, and checked the water level.....it was ok.
Got in the van and started the engine. Started right up. Oil light went
off, no buzzer, engine idled nice. I let it warm up a bit. Then pulled
out of the drive to go around the block.
Once in the street ...and going up hill.....suddenly the oil pressure
light comes on and the buzzer sounds. So switch off, swing around and
coast back into the driveway. Go read Bentley.
HHMMM. In the Lubrication section, Bentley says there are two pressure
switches( I knew that) and the one on the side of the engine is set to
function between 2 and 6.5 lbs pressure, turning the oil light off. The
rear switch activates at 13.6 psi and turns the light on as well as
activates the buzzer.
Back at the van, I started the engine. idled beautifully, lights and
busser off. I revved to 2000 rpm, light and buzzer still off. I revved
again!! The instant the rpm hit 3000 the oil pressure light came on, and
the buzzer sounded. I shut her down.
Back by the engine, I turned my flashlight beam down in behind the belts
and sure enough, I could see the naked connector end of the high
pressure switch. So I went fishing to find the wire and connector that
hooks to it, found it and pressed it on. Started the engine, ran my
little test, and it ran perfect. No lights and horns.
So that is the story.
If you have never had this particular experience, I suggest you simulate
it so you get to actually hear the buzzer and see the light flash. All
you have to do to simulate this is to remove the connector on the
switch, start the engine, then gently rev to 3000 rpm. It will do fine
until you hit the 3000 mark. Try it, you really should hear that buzzer,
so you will know what it is when it happens.
Don't forget to reconnect the pressure switch wire.
John Rodgers
88 GL Driver back on the road