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Date:         Mon, 23 May 2005 12:30:06 -0400
Reply-To:     Don in North Carolina <Don_Dixon@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don in North Carolina <Don_Dixon@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Subject:      Re: Joy Hecht's problem's solved?
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=original

Aaron,

It is the overheating that kills the engine. Unfortunately, once the coolant is gone, the temperature sensor has no way of knowing what the temperature of the engine is, since air doesn't conduct heat as well as the coolant! So even if your gauge reads normal, you can overheat the engine and destroy it with no indications of problems (other than the load noises it may start to make), that is why a sudden catastrophic loss of coolant is such a bad thing, and why you need to pull over and shutdown as soon as it happens.

The coolant tank level sensor is supposed to warn you of this issue, but in my experience it doesn't work very well at this - be warned!

Don in Reidsville, NC 1986 Kawasaki Concours 1988 Vanagon GL (Sylvia) "I reject your reality and substitute my own." - Adam Savage ----- Original Message ----- From: "Aaron Pearson" <Aaron.Pearson@GXT.COM> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Mon 23 May 2005 12:02 Subject: Re: Joy Hecht's problem's solved?

why does coolant loss cause engine damage? i had catastrophic pipe failure, but stopped before the engine temp went up. i knew my pipe was close to failure, and stopped as soon as the light started to blink. i had to run the engine a few times before the coolant went back in (to manuever it to the tow truck, and to get it in the garage), but the temp gauge never went above normal.

aaron '87 syncro gl

-----Original Message----- From: Dennis Haynes [mailto:dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET] Sent: Saturday, May 21, 2005 3:40 PM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: Joy Hecht's problem's solved?

There is no buzzer for the cooling system. She lost the coolant and continued to drive until the engine was so hot it also lost oil pressure. Major coolant loss will always cause some engine damage. Check-inspect hoses and belts regularly and check coolant and oil levels at every 1-2 fill ups. Look for and fix slow leaks. If you are adding coolant, you are adding corrosion.

Dennis

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Rocket J Squirrel Sent: Saturday, May 21, 2005 5:25 PM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: Joy Hecht's problem's solved?

On 5/19/2005 11:38 AM Joy Hecht wrote:

<snip>

>Unfortunately yesterday I had an old coolant hose leak on the highway in Indiana, and by the time the buzzer alerted me to the van overheating I'd blown my engine. > <snip>

Poor Joy. Is she having trouble, or what?

In the interest of learning from the experience of others, is there anything a fellow can do if his Vanagon springs a major coolant leak like that? Her buzzer (does my 84 have one? I don't think so) sounded too late to prevent conversion of engine into scrap metal.

--

Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus 83.5 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana") KG6RCR


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