Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2004 01:13:34 EDT
Reply-To: Jahsurf@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Chris Dixon <Jahsurf@AOL.COM>
Subject: Need Suggestions-Wierd Overheating
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Ok, So I bought Veronica Fraga's amazing, unbelievable Syncro -- check
roadhaus.com and click on Veronica's makeover at the bottom of the page. It has an
odd overheat problem that I was aware of when I bought it (2.1 L WBX). I think
the problem is the thermostat but would welcome some insight/confirmation into
this.
When I test drove the van, last week -- the temp light came on and the needle
went up to about 2/3 when it was idling after driving about ten minutes.
Pulled away from light and it quickly went out.
Drove the van three hours around Orange County in traffic on Friday. The
needle stayed a third of the way up for two hours - no problems. Fan came on as it
should. Highway/city driving. 75 deg or so outside.
Drove it home tonight (STOKED!!!). Got about a mile away from her house, and
the needle seemed to be where it should. Stopped to get gas, fired it back up
and the needle rapidly climbed to the red and the light came on. It got 9/10
up and obviously I pulled over and shut it down. Called Veronica, and she
suggested to turn the heater controls up - front and rear, and to turn the AC
controller just enuf that the front fan came on. Did this, and, of course, the
needle fell and the van ran cool on the flat highway.
Climbing a decent grade for two miles, needle again climbed just above half
(heater controls on) and then going downgrade, got cool again. Rolling thru my
town toward home, stop and go, it climbed to 2/3 to 3/4 and red light was on
(controls still on). The rear heater I realized was partially covered by a
piece of plywood. So it got air circulating on the hiway with the windows down,
but not in town driving slow. (it was really hot in the back of the van)
Seems to me, that I was getting all my cooling thru the heater cores - hence
the rapid heating up when the car was sitting fairly still or climbing, but at
speed on the highway in cool air, enuf cold air over the cores to cool the
van. I figure I've got a sticky thermostat. Or some wierd, scary problem with
the heads tranferring hot gasses to the coolant. I was planning on replacing the
motor anyway, but would like to wait if I can. 'Cause the motor actually runs
quite well -- aside from this damned cooling gremlin.
Suggestions?
DIXON
| 
