Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2001 09:27:42 -0500
Reply-To: Kim G <ppg1@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Kim G <ppg1@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: coolant fairies...(long)
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
Hi List,
Has anyone ever heard of the coolant fairies? Someone or somehow every time
I look in my expansion tank there is more coolant in there than the time
before, whether I have driven anywhere or if it has been parked for 3 days.
I don't know if there is an air bubble in the system somewhere, or coolant
fairies, or some other problem.
Here is what caused this problem, as far as I can figure.
Last weekend, I parallel parked my van, after driving for some time in
95+heat, and it is a manual transmission(85 GL). After my poor attempt at
parking, forwarding and reversing a few times before I was good enough, I
heard a weird vacuum noise at noticed leaking coolant. The leak was coming
from a hose with a T-fitting next to the shift linkage that goes into the
transmission on the rear passenger side of the van. I let the van cool down
for a few hours, and came back to find it had only lost about a cup of
coolant, and the hose was still on the fitting, just not quite as far on as
I think it should be. After pushing it back together and tightening up the
clamps, and moving the hoses away from the shifter, I was on my way again.
The coolant level was still between min and max in the expansion tank, but I
was still suspicious of the vacuum noise I heard. I drove a little ways, no
blinky dash lights and the temp was normal, all systems go.
Now last night, some mysterious coolant fairies put more coolant in my
expansion tank. I drove for almost 2 hrs in stupid rush hour traffic, and
checked the tank again(nervous habit). The tank was almost full, and I
checked it again, because its supposed to go down when it cools, and it
didn't. I bled the system again, but I don't think it worked properly
because the van was not completely cooled off for this roadside maintenance,
I just wanted to get home without overheating. I made it home, and tonight
I will attempt to bleed it properly.
Am I on the right track thinking theres an air bubble in there? Anyone
have any other ideas? Also, my van has never overheated, and the needle
doesn't go over 1/2 way up the temp gauge, just mysterious extra coolant in
the tank. I have 50/50 sierra coolant/water mix freshly flushed and filled
and bled in May of this year.
Thanks for any help..
Kim
85 GL
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