Date:         Mon, 30 Jul 2001 09:29:39 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Strange Things Happening
Comments: To: Terry Kay <CTONLINE@WEBTV.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <2529-3B64A869-342@storefull-132.iap.bryant.webtv.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 08:20 PM 7/29/2001, Terry Kay wrote:
>The temperature needle buries itself to the top of the gauge, and the
>red, low coolant indicator light blinks.
>
>Now, let's say I only ran down the road to the store, and when I come
>back out and start her again for the trip home-----no blinking light, no
>buried gauge.
>
>And it doesn't make any difference how long I drive it, it can only be a
>couple of blocks---5 miles, it does this weird thing.

Terry, something is grounding the gauge input.  Open the panel cover and
get a look at the #43 control module on the left wall -- if it's twice as
tall as wide then it will do this when it thinks the coolant is low (open
circuit on the probe).  If it's a cube, then it will light the light
without pinning the gauge -- in that case you have a bad sender or grounded
sender wire.

You might skip directly to testing, but it may disturb the wires and
temporarily remove a short to ground -- unplug the temp sender (single
wire, on thermostat).  If that cures it, bad sender.  If not, unplug and
jumper the coolant probe in the expansion tank.  If that cures it,
dirty/bad probe.  If neither one cures it, either open circuit in probe
wiring, bad level control module, or short in temp sender wiring.

david


David Beierl - Providence, RI
  http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"