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Date:         Tue, 5 Mar 2002 10:36:12 -0700
Reply-To:     Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@WORLDNET.ATT.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@WORLDNET.ATT.NET>
Subject:      Re: Engine Mgmt. Question
Comments: To: joseph Trussell <joetruss@HOTMAIL.COM>

Sounds like a missing or non-functioning thermostat to me. Once at temperature, the coolant should stay pretty warm both up and down hills. There will be some variation, but not more than about 2-3 needlewidths.

Karl Wolz

----- Original Message ----- From: "joseph Trussell" <joetruss@HOTMAIL.COM> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2002 10:04 AM Subject: Re: Engine Mgmt. Question

> The temp gauge was all over the place...Going up hills, with the engine > really pushing hard, the needle would go up to about the half-way point, and > the heater would be cranking very hot air into the cabin. Then on the other > side, after I'd crest a hill and coast down, the gauge would go almost all > the way down to nothing and cold, cold, cold air would come in through the > heater vents. I figured that was just due to the fact that it was so cold > outside. > > And with no rear heater (removed by the previous owner) the poor folks in > the middle seat (my fiance and my friend's fiance) just about froze their > butts off... > > Joe T. > Denver, CO > '85 GL "bertha" > > > ----Original Message Follows---- > From: "Jay L Snyder" <Jay.L.Snyder@usa.dupont.com> > To: joseph Trussell <joetruss@HOTMAIL.COM> > CC: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > Subject: Re: Engine Mgmt. Question > Date: Tue, 5 Mar 2002 10:45:34 -0500 > > > Did you notice any change in your temperature gauge? I have noticed this > phenomenon with my '85 Westy running the mountains in Shenandoah National > Park in the fall and early spring. The engine seems to get cooler and > loses some power. It runs much better when the temp needle is about half > way up. As I was climbing and it was getting colder outside, the gauge > stayed low and it didn't seem to have the same power. On the way home, I > got stuck in some traffic and the temp went up. It also ran like a bat out > of hell the rest of the way home. I am wondering if the thermostat is > sticking or it just runs too cool--too rich in cold weather? The idling > while you were peeing may have got the engine back up to normal operating > range and allowed it to make better power. I know the fan never runs in > these conditions--maybe I need some kind of radiator cover in cold weather? > The heater works great, so I don't think the thermostat is stuck wide open. > > Jay > > > > > joseph Trussell <joetruss@HOTMAIL.COM>@gerry.vanagon.com> on 03/05/2002 > 10:16:53 AM > > Please respond to joseph Trussell <joetruss@HOTMAIL.COM> > > Sent by: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com> > > > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > cc: > Subject: Engine Mgmt. Question > > > Hi list, > > I drove my '85 up to Breckenridge from Denver on Friday with four adults > and > a full load of ski stuff and weekend supplies. We headed up i-70 into the > mountains, and I had no power whatsoever...I was barely getting up the > first > major hills into the mountains at about 30 MPH, 2nd gear. > > We stopped in Idaho Springs (about 25 miles, elevation 7500/8000 ft.) for a > bathroom break, and I left Bertha idling while we went into the gas > station. > At that point I also I met a guy in a '75 Westy, he and his friends were > freezing their asses off--it was about -15 degrees there and his heater > wasn't cutting it. > > Anyway we came back out and climbed in and hit the road. For some reason, > I > had much, much more power as I went up the onramp back onto the interstate. > For the rest of the trip, actually, up to the Eisenhower Tunnel then down > the other side to Breckenridge, my Vanagon was running like it was > possessed--taking hills at 45 or 50 and not losing much power or momentum. > > I'm just wondering if the engine mgmt system is smart enough to have > somehow > compensated? Just curious. > > Joe T. > Denver, CO > '85 GL "bertha" > > P.S.: BIG THANK YOU to the guy in the gold westy who offered me a jump on > Sunday when I was stalled with a completely dead battery in the middle of > the road next to the ski area at Breck... > > _________________________________________________________________ > MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: > http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Join the world's largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. > http://www.hotmail.com >


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