Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2004 15:23:28 -0700
Reply-To: Jim Thompson <jim@KARMANNGHIA.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jim Thompson <jim@KARMANNGHIA.COM>
Subject: Re: Coolant temp warning lamp glitch?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Mike -
Check for answers below..............
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Elliott" <j.michael.elliott@ADELPHIA.NET>
Subject: Coolant temp warning lamp glitch?
> I searched the archives with "temperature warning red" and "coolant
> warning red" as the seeds before posting this.
****************
Better "seeds" to use would have been "Coolant LED", "Coolant Warning LED"
or even just "Blinking Light".
<SNIP>
> Of course the owner's manual and the Bentleys are both in the van. I
> helped her locate the manuals, then we both read about what might cause
> the lamp to blink (new vehicle to us). She restarted the engine and the
> lamp continued to blink. She inspected the coolant level, and because it
> was hard to see, she rapped on the side of the filler tube to see the
> coolant jiggle. It was midway between min and max. Back of the van is
> filled with camping gear, so no inspection of the belt was made. No
> steam smelled or seen.
********************
When your better half inspected the coolant level, she was looking at the
Coolant REFILL Tank. Wrong place to check for immediate resolution of the
problem. What is needed is to unload all of that gear in the back (I know
<groan>). The Expansion Tank in the engine compartment is where the coolant
level should be checked. If there's coolant in that tank and there's no
leaks, then the Coolant Level Sensor at the top of this tank needs to be (if
the probes are corroded away) replaced or (if the probes are just dirty or
oily) cleaned. I recently had this happen on my Westy and I cleaned the
probes with a small wire parts brush. Clean coolant is a must and should be
checked at every oil change to ensure that the probes of the Sensor operates
correctly.
>
> Re-started the engine and this time the lamp blinked for the usual lamp
> test period, then went dark. She drove the five miles to the drop-off
> point with no trouble.
>
> 1. Uh -- this is one of those things that "fixes itself" . . . right? ;-)
******************
Only temporarily. It appears the probes on the Coolant Level Sensor are
somewhat "dirty". It can happen that when a certain amount of coolant
washes through the Expansion Tank, it will temporarily clean the Sensor
probes. Remove the Sensor and clean the probes.
>
> 2. I have a bottle of the good coolant in the vehicle. I should also
> bring a new belt -- can someone advise the kind of belt I might be able
> to get at a Pep Boys or equivalent? I won't have time to order from a VW
> shop.
*******************
Proper Belt is 10x1175 (American Size is 3/8" x 46.5"), VW # 025 903 137.
Haven't a clue what Pep Boys' number might be. I keep an OE Continental
belt and a USA-made Gates Number 7465 belt under the mattress pad on top of
the engine cover just in case it's needed. Usually a good parts guy on the
counter will be able to cross the OE VW Number or Gates Number I've given to
whatever they carry (Goodyear, Dayco, etc..)
Have a nice trip :-)
Jim Thompson
oldvolkshome@earthlink.net
jim@karmannghia.com
http://www.oldvolkshome.com
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