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Date:         Mon, 15 Sep 2003 22:03:47 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: HELP:  problem with temperature gauge (or something)
Comments: To: "Katherine J. Maas" <kathmaas@TELUS.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <BB8BA15E.A553%kathmaas@telus.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; format=flowed

At 08:03 PM 9/15/2003, Katherine J. Maas wrote: >A couple of weeks ago I had my 1987 Westy in for servicing. I always take >it to a mechanic I really trust. Hešs a VW specialist and works on lots of >them. Hešs been working on my Westy since I originally owned it ‹ for about >4 years now.

However he doesn't actually understand electricity, and possibly not troubleshooting.

>Thinking something else must have been malfunctioning, he bled the system, >replaced the gauge (twice), replaced the temperature sensor, changed the >vibrator,

Nice trick since this vehicle doesn't have one -- however we'll assume he means the voltage regulator that supplies +10v to the fuel and temp gauges.

> and checked all the wiring.

That's the part I don't believe.

This is a simple system. You have a ten-volt positive supply, goes through the gauge, then through the wire to the sender, through the sender, back to ground. The hotter the sender is, the lower its resistance and the more current it lets pass which heats up the gauge and makes it read high.

There's also a low-coolant warning controller which outputs to this line when is sees an open circuit on the coolant-level sender pins. The version you should have puts out a pulse that will trigger the flashing light without noticeably changing the gauge reading; but the older type simply forces the sender line to a level that approximates full scale. This makes the light blink and also makes the gauge peg. The old controller is taller than wide; the newer one roughly cubical. They're on the fuse/relay panel in the 2.1l, I think the painted number may be 43. The old type will cause your symptom if it's unplugged from the sender or has a bad ground.

So if you eliminate the level controller, what's left is a wire shorted to ground between gauge and sender.

david

-- David Beierl - Providence RI USA -- http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/ '84 Westy "Dutiful Passage" '85 GL "Poor Relation"


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