Date:         Tue, 16 Apr 2002 00:41:47 EDT
Reply-To:     Jkpvw@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         - Jeff & Kim Prudhoe <Jkpvw@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Diesel Heater Core Leaking?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

After pulling the '82 Diesel Westy (48,000 miles) out of winter storage I
noticed a small amount of coolant vapor streaming from the front vents. (w/o
fan on) I shut off the heater control on the dash and the sweat steam still
came up.  After removing the glove box I noticed that the linkage was not
completely shutting the heater valve (in the diesel its under the dash) off,
so I made the manual adjustment. The steaming continued.

I noticed that a small drop of coolant was hanging off the bottom of the
heater control valve but found no other leaks from the heater hoses.

Is it safe to say the heater valve is failing? (not shutting off the flow to
the core)

Do these valves leak externally?

Is the heater valve leak in addition to a core leak? (causing the steaming)

An archive search has revealed some real horror stories about front core
replacements on the wasserboxers.  Is this the case with the diesel as well?

Also, in the few very short drives I have made since the problem began, I've
noticed the temp gauge climb over 1/2.  Previously, the temp gauge never
exceeded 1/4, even when lugging up to the continental divide during last
year's Yellowstone vacation.

Thanks in advance for your responses.

Jeff Prudhoe
Bay Village, Ohio