Date: Sun, 7 Jul 2002 21:00:05 -0400
Reply-To: Timothy Crooks <eungkeupsil@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Timothy Crooks <eungkeupsil@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: What a weekend...Help...Overheating 1990!
Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Could be a simple leak in your expansion tank. Remember, as water pressure
rises, so does its boiling point. If your tank is leaking, such as a bad
cap, o-ring at the coolant level sensor, or its just cracked (mine cracked
at the seam after an overheating episode a year ago), you cannot build
enough pressure to raise to boiling point of the coolant, it boils at a
lower temperature and it steams its way out of circulation. Back in the day
before expansion tanks were uses, cars would overheat for bad radiator caps.
(of course back in the day we had air-cooled VW's).
Also, don't forget to bleed your system, this takes a good two hours, but
where there is air in the system, there is no ability to cool. There is a
bleeder valve on the thermostat housing and one on the radiator. Most of us
know this, but I have read somewhere is is very often overlooked.
An expansion tank is not expensive, I got mine at Bus Depot. If your tank
is hissing, it is no longer a closed system.
Tim
1990 Vanagon GL
Berengat, NJ, where we drive on the Parkway and park on the driveway.
----- Original Message -----
From: "kevin obrien" <kevindobrien@YAHOO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, July 07, 2002 20:06
Subject: What a weekend...Help...Overheating 1990!
> Well...having written a long description of my 4th of
> July from Hell...it seems it disappeared from the
> site.
>
> So...
>
> I've got a 1990 Carat...long suffering from the
> Mysterious Blinking Coolant Light Syndrome.
>
> This winter a coolant hose blew...head gasket went
> bad...heads were "strangely corroded" (my mechanic
> said) so I had the heads re-done.
>
> 1.5 months later the coolant light is blinking
> again...coolant disappears from Overflow Tank (behind
> License Plate) I refill...Coolant Light blinks at
> will..sometimes...sometimes not.
>
> Recently coming up the 5 mile hill to my house in hot
> weather makes the temp rise and coolant leak around
> the expansion tank. I repalce coolant in Overflow
> when it is missing. Coolant light blinks after start
> up...then stops if I turn off ignition & re-start.
>
> Van overheated (coolant hissing arounf Expansion Tank
> ) on 5 mile hill 2 days ago. Next day ran fine to and
> from Pittsburgh 150 MILE ROUNDTRIP...;(no big
> hills)...then overheated on 5 mile uphill.
>
> After cooling...took it for a drive...ran hot in 3 to
> 4 miles!
>
> Spent last evening delving into the Archives....
>
> Come On you Coolant Gurus out there...GIVE ME THE
> WORD!
>
> IS IT:
>
> 1) my radiator?
> 2) my expansion tank?
> 3) my thermostat?
> 4) my overflow tank?
> 5) MY HEADS???? ( in which case there will be one less
> mechanic in the world come Monday morning!!!!) :-)
>
> Please respond ASAP.
>
> kevindobrien@yahoo.com
>
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