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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?
Comments: To: pokey@VANAGON.ORG
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


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