Date:         Thu, 8 Aug 2002 10:46:50 -0400
Reply-To:     Colin Stanfield <cstan@IFP.ORG>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Colin Stanfield <cstan@IFP.ORG>
Subject:      Continued Coolant Grief
In-Reply-To:  <vanagon%2002080801405306@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Volks,

This morning I sprung another leak in my coolant system and was wondering if
anyone could guess what's going on.

I was on a short drive this morning (5 minutes) when the coolant light came
on and the temperature gauge pinned. I stopped at a light and it returned to
zero. After driving again it would go up and the light would come on. I
pulled into my parking lot and left the van running. The gauge was low.

I figure the thermostat must have been opening and that coolant was filling
voids in the system, draining the expansion tank and tripping the gauge
switch.

I grab a piece of wood and get the engine revving at around 3000 grab my can
of coolant and go back to the engine to wait for the light to go on so that
I can open the bleeder valve and top up my coolant. I notice my coolant
reservoir (not the expansion tank) is empty so I fill it with coolant). Ten
minutes later nothing's happened. I'm getting impatient so I start playing
with the bleeder valve. I open and then close it snugly (nothing comes out
no air no coolant). Now I'm getting really impatient. I turn the engine off
(it's still going like gangbusters when I turn the key off) and then I
notice coolant spraying like crazy out of the engine compartment.

There's a rubber hose maybe 1 1/2 diameter 4" long which is connecting two
coolant pipes just below the alternator and oil fill spigot. It has ruptured
(1/4" slit in rubber). Now all my coolant is on the ground.

Guess I won't be driving to Nova Scotia tomorrow.

Colin