Date: Fri, 1 Jul 2005 19:19:03 -0700
Reply-To: stephen steele <steeles159@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: stephen steele <steeles159@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Thermo gun results and Four speed MPG
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
I have just now found the time to post to the List
about my temp gun musings. For those that remember...I
previously asked about temps at the radiator input and
output hoses.
Two weeks ago, several COWs (Central Ohio Westies) did
a caravan to a distant campout in PA. I was able to
compare the temps with fellow campers enroute.
Input at my '89 Westy's radiator was around 198º F;
with output at 157ºF. Oddly enough, these numbers
were exactly the same as one of my fellow camper's
('91 Westy, AT,fully loaded) after an hour run in two
lane, light traffic, no large hills. My gauge was
showing the needle's right edge just brushing the
left edge of the LED. His gauge showed at 1/3, well
below the LED.
It is my inference that either my gauge or sensor is
off by a lot. Also my coolant "loss" seems to have
disapated over the course of this last camping trip. I
presume that it was air bleeding off and now after
1500 miles I have had no need to add coolant. The
liter or so that I had added (over the two weeks
following replacing the pressure tank) acting to top
off the space that the air had previously occupied...
??? I must have done a poor job of bleeding
following the r/r of the tank. ??? Oh well.
Of other interest is the '89 Westy 4 spd fully loaded,
averaged over 23 MPG for the trip (all highway) while
cruising at 60-62 MPH. I was suspect with this MPG
figure since I had not calculated the fuel usage on
this van since buying it in the Spring. I have begun
to watch it more closely. Since coming home from the
camping trip I have averaged nearly 21MPG with mixed
driving .
Apparently, the manual tranny is proving to be more of
a fuel miser than I thought it would be. WHOOOHOOO!
I haven't had mileage this good since my '81 Aircooled
VanagonL back in the early '80's... and this van has
heat and air conditioning! And arm rests. And power
steering. And a pop top. And... can you tell I LIKE
it?
Stephen
Chillicothe OH
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