Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2005 11:09:00 -0600
Reply-To: roadguy@ROADHAUS.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Larry Chase <roadguy@ROADHAUS.COM>
Subject: Update on Engine Overheating Concern
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Volks,
Here's an update of on my Engine Overheating Concern.
Yesterday's Shop Saga:
Everything appeared normal at idle.
Radiator and hoses are hot.
Fan comes on low speed as it should.
Temp gauge comes up to normal range.
After idling for 30 minutes .... took a 20 minutes test drive.
Temp was normal.
Back to the shop ... let her idle another 20 minutes.
That's when it boiled over.
- - -
Actions:
Fan ..... coming on (slow speed) during idle before test drive as it should.
Resistor .... behind grill thought to be OK because Fan is coming on low speed (see
above)
Pressure Cap - Replaced
Fuse for Fan - Checked OK
No evidence of water in the oil
No visual evidence of water in exhaust
Thermo Switch Wire - Being Checked
Therma Switch Ground - Being checked now
Combustion gasses into cooling system - Being checked now
Install a 2nd New thermostat - Being done now.
Impaired radiator .... possibility
Water pump (ie, damaged impeller) .... possibility
- - -
More Detailed Summary of Original Problem.
On the way home from work last Friday the coolant light came on ... butr temp was
OK.
Pulled over immediatley and found that the main (left) coolant bottle was 3/4 empty
and the overflow fill bottle was full.
I let the engine cool down and toped off the "Main Coolant Bottle".
Drove home (15 miles) with no problem.
Checked "Main Coolant Bottle" ... it was again 3/4 empty and overflow bottle was
full.
Topped off the "Main Coolant Bottle" and bleed a little air out of the radiator
bleed screw.
Saturday morning headed out of town .... got 40-50 miles down the road and red
coolant light came on, by the time I found a place to
pull off the road the temp gauge was at the line just above the LED.
Steam was coming out of the engine compartment.
I found that a previous hose patch on the "Plastic Tubing" that goes around the
engine compartment (sorry don't know the proper name) had blown off.
Fixed this, refilled the "Main Coolant Bottle" and got back on the road.
Was only able to get 5-6 miles down the road before the engine overheated and
boiled over.
Made 5-6 attempts to refill and bleed the system .... no improvement.
Made it to a NAPA and got a new thermostat.
Installed ... no improvement. Note ... didn't notcie that the new thermostat was
actually a bit taller than the orignial and thus ut got "crushed" a bit by the
thermostat housing. So was not functioning.
At that point I had the van towed to the shop.
|
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