Date:         Thu, 11 Sep 2003 16:00:50 -0700
Reply-To:     Malcolm Stebbins <mwstebbins@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Malcolm Stebbins <mwstebbins@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: disappearing coolant??
Comments: To: Matt Heydon <matt@THEHEYDONS.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <7857B956D5ACD311B3DD0090274CEA0E01B7AEC3@storm.yampa.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

--- Matt Heydon <matt@THEHEYDONS.COM> wrote:
> I just had the coolant/anti-freeze flushed by my
> local generic mechanic. Now
> everyday for the last 5 I've been finding the filler
> reservoir behind the
> license plate empty.  The mechanic is telling me
> it's air working it's way
> out of the system. That sounds reasonable

NO!  if there is air working its way out of the
system, then coolant will follow the same path and
work its way out of the system too.

The radiator needs to be bleed. Fill the overflow tank
a bit, then get the van up to temp and then loosen the
front radiator bolt to let the air out.  Depending on
year, there is also a bleed on top of the thermostate.


If, after proper bleeding, the van continues to draw
coolant from the overflow tank, then you are loosing
coolant as you drive and then as the engine cools, it
is replacing the lost coolant from the overflow tank.

In normal operation, the overflow tank will not be
used, except if the van overheats, then coolant flows
into the overflow tank, and then as the engine cools,
coolant will again be sucked back.

I think that your meachnic is wrong on this one.  Few
folks know how to bleed a vanagon. and also you should
look at your coolant, as few shops will do a proper
job of draining, flushing and re-filling the van and
get the air o ut afterwords.  m2cw  Malcolm

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