Date: Thu, 3 Jun 2004 22:45:33 EDT
Reply-To: Oxroad@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jeff Oxroad <Oxroad@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: Coolant - Have I screwd up my engine?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
In a message dated 6/3/2004 7:08:23 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
pokey@VANAGON.ORG writes:
> coolant reserve was dry, so I filled it up with straight
> undilluted coolant. Shortly after the coolant light would not
> stop blinking despite the fact that the gauge read OK
I think the gauge and cooling light tell you different things. The coolant
temp may be fine at the gauge sending unit and so the gauge reads OK. But the
fluid level being low is one of the things that triggers the blinking light.
There's a fluid level sensor in the expansion tank--the bigger tank of the
two--the one inside the engine bay.
Sounds to me like you have a coolant leak somewhere. This would explain why
you were low on coolant. Very possibly, and hopefully it is an external leak
and you can find it. Mine has had tiny leaks in the past which were hard to
find, but eventually got themselves noticed when the coolant went low about once a
month or so. Your cooling hoses etc. are differnt than on my 83.5, but my
leak sources were usually dried out hose, a pin hole in a hose, or a leak at a
junction.
Depending on how much pure coolant you put in--and I'm guessing you didn't
put much in if you put it in via the overflow tank behind the license plate--my
guess is it wouldn't do any damage. But I would flush the system or otherwise
rectify the coolant heavy mix for proper cooling-- the recommended 50/50
coolant/water ratio I believe. Pure coolant will not cool the engine properly. I
ALWAYS use distilled water. I recommend distilled water because who wants all
them minerals in their cooling system to screw it up? I'm not even sure it
necessary, but it sure makes me feel better and the coolant always looks very nice
when I change it.
(In the Vanagon cooling systems I have seen in junk yards the expansion tanks
are full of rust stains, mineral grit, etc. Who knows what's in your tap
water. I mean it's fine to drink, because we're all gonna die eventually anyway.
But your bus could last forever with proper care ;)
Jeff
83.5 Westfalia
LA,CA