Date:         Tue, 1 Apr 2003 22:17:33 EST
Reply-To:     Cotsford@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Steve Cotsford <Cotsford@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Your Van might just need a flush....was Van runs hot in traffic
              jams
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The new to me '91 Carat I recently bought had a reputed overheating problem.
In trying to suss the cause out, I noticed that it runs steady with the
coolant temp needle over the LED or a tiny bit above, even though I had bled
it properly a couple of times.     This bothered me as my '84 always runs
with the needle below the LED.

It had the wrong antifreeze in it so I decided to flush it and change to
phosphate free.
I disconnected the radiator hoses from the engine end of the long plastic
tubes, jammed a hose it there and back-flushed the radiator as hard as my
leaky connection would allow, until the green was out and did the same the
other way around.   I then took the thermostat out and flushed everything
else out with the garden hose everyway that I could.   The thermostat is
marked 80.
I put in the new antifreeze, filled it up, bled it a couple of times and now
it runs steady with the needle below the LED, no matter how hard I drive it.

I swear just back-flushing the radiator as hard as my hose would let me, made
all the difference.

If your cooling system seems a bit marginal and overheats in traffic etc,
just try flushing the radiator out.
Its perhaps an old fashioned idea but it might just be your problem !

cheers,   Steve Cotsford