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Date:         Wed, 9 Jul 2003 12:18:38 -0400
Reply-To:     David Brodbeck <gull@GULL.US>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Brodbeck <gull@GULL.US>
Subject:      Re: New owner with a question or three.
Comments: To: Don Spence <dspence@OANET.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <BB319045.22CA%dspence@oanet.com>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

On Wed, 9 Jul 2003, Don Spence wrote:

> I'm a new list member and the new owner of an 83 westy (in Edmonton Alberta > Canada) who is puzzling out a few things. The vehicle is in very good > condition overall but... The temperature gauge is intermittent. Works > sometimes, didn't work yesterday. I looked it up in the bentley manual but > none of their illustrations correspond to what I have. (Temp gauge and led > in top of clock). Any hints as to where to start and what to look for > appreciated.

I assume you have a diesel. (I don't think air-cooled models had a temp gauge.) When the gauge "doesn't work", does it stay at the cold end of the gauge, or does it peg out at the high end? If it pegs out, it's shorting to ground somewhere. If it stays at the cold end, either there's a loose connection somewhere or the gauge is defective. Your gauge works exactly like the one in the water-cooled gas models, and all the same tests apply.

The first place I'd suspect is the connection at the sender. The sender is in the heater hose connection at the front (FIF) of the cylinder head. There's not a lot of contact area here and it's prone to corrosion. My gauge read low until I cleaned the contact on the sender and replaced the connector. Otherwise you'll need to check for a break in the wire or a bad connection at the gauge itself. You could also have a bad sender, but you can rule that out by grounding the sender wire when the gauge is acting up. If the gauge pegs out and the red light flashes, it's the sender.

Incidentally, I find an additional, aftermarket water temp gauge helps my piece of mind. If you decide to add one, go to a junkyard and find a heater hose fitting from a Dasher or another VW diesel car of that era. They had both the glow plug temp sender and the gauge sender in the same location, so the fitting has two holes instead of one. Stick this fitting on your van and you have an extra hole for your second gauge sender.

> NOISE LEVEL ABATEMENT! Sorry for shouting but the ambient noise level is > very high in the van. Lots of thumps and whumps over bumps. All the > cabinetry is solid, the hatch is tight, but I get major rattles over tar > strips. It could be the rear seat/bed. Any hints on tightening or dampening > this area.

Dunno about the seat but I had major rattles from my stove. If this is part of your problem, remove the grate and bend it slightly so it's under tension when installed. Makes a big difference.

You might make sure the seat is actually latched. On mine just pushing it down won't latch it, I have to lift the latch knob slightly to get it to click in.

At idle the plastic frame of my sliding door window screen rattles against the window. I shove a piece of paper in there to quiet it down.

> Jack/tool stowage: Where is the tool bag supposed to go? Currently on he > upper shelf inside back door but it thumps here.

Mine's under the back seat.

David Brodbeck, N8SRE '82 Diesel Westfalia '94 Honda Civic Si


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