Date: Sat, 4 Feb 2006 01:33:34 -0500
Reply-To: Jonathan Farrugia <jfarrugi@UMICH.EDU>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jonathan Farrugia <jfarrugi@UMICH.EDU>
Subject: Re: running hot....any ideas?
In-Reply-To: <200602040133515.SM01312@main>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
wow very cool this is exactly the data that i was hoping to gather at the
dealer if they had the tool! i don't have a bentley at this location.
does the bentley call out the settings for the tool or does it just say
some thing generic like "use tool 1301 to test gage"?
jonathan
On Sat, 4 Feb 2006, rsf wrote:
> To the troubleshooting comments:
>
> Any variable resister tool will work and you can use this page from bentley
> online to determine what ohm readings will make you gauge "do the right
> thing"...
> http://www.bentleypublishers.com/tech/vw/bentley.vw1301.testing.htm
>
> Vw in the over engineering uses special tools for everything when sometimes
> a far simpler design or tool would have done just fine!
>
> Shawn
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> Jonathan Farrugia
> Sent: Friday, February 03, 2006 1:18 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: running hot....any ideas?
>
> okay so i gave this whole issue some consideration in the past. so much
> so that i did a survey on this list about coolant needle position. here
> are the results:
>
> http://gerry.vanagon.com/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0402B&L=vanagon&P=R11774
>
> mark drillock can speak much more authoritatively on the coolant light and
> gauge system than i. for a 85 there is really two inputs to the gauge the
> tank level sensor and the variable resistance temp sender (the one with
> only one wire on it. if you look at the bentley they have a cute little
> tester to test if the gage is functioning correctly. basically it is a
> variable resister that you crank to different locations and then watch
> what the gauge is doing. the test where you directly ground the lead to
> the temp sensor and watch the gauge peg all the way to the high end is
> just an extreme variation of this test.
>
> since the system works on resistance if the resistance in either the
> sender, wire, or crimp connection changes the position of the needle will
> change. for example you could have a sensor that works fine but some
> corrosion inside the crimp of the connector. this corrosion = resistance,
> so therefore your gauge would be seeing a higher resistance across all
> temperature readings. so without the corroded crimp connector the gage
> reads right over the led then with the extra resistance of the corrosion
> it might read a little higher.
>
> the real solution to all of this is to either find a dealer that has the
> vw special tool and actually knows how to use it. or to figure out how
> the tool works ie what resistance equals what position on the gauge, and
> or what resistance equal what temperature. this could be done in directly
> by using a temperature measuring device and a multimeter on a "properly
> functioning" system.
>
> also the gages in the earlier vans (1.9) do go bad as i have had to
> replace the one in my. if remember correctly this tends to involve the
> light flashing when its not supposed to be flashing. also one other
> variable on this system is the voltage regulator in the instrument
> cluster. i have never found problems with these as a test i swapped out
> two or three of these in my cluster before changing the gage and they did
> not affect operation or voltage readings.
>
> one final comment on resistance and gage readings. the resistive
> temperature gage is located in a high resistance area. it is in that
> little aluminum casting that is held on with two long bolts. in almost
> every system that i have taken apart those bolts are heavily corroded.
> these bolts are the main ground source for the sensor bolted into that
> housing. this also complicates matters of whether the gauge is seeing
> accurate resistance readings.
>
> jonathan
>
> On Fri, 3 Feb 2006, JordanVw@AOL.COM wrote:
>
>> i'll be alittle more descriptive..
>> this is a '85 transporter, 1.9L wbx, automatic, no air conditioning.
>> the problem i was having is that the needle would read on, or over the red
>> light location (but not pegged 100%) during normal driving. the red light
> was
>> NOT on. and no, system was not boiling over. coolant level full in tank.
>>
>> so i thought ot myself, this may be a clogged radiator, so i installed a
> new
>> radiator, and thermoswitch on rad.
>>
>> that didnt help anything..
>>
>> also installed the good 'ol TK coolant line splice kit at the same time.
>>
>> anyway, i am upgrading the inst cluster to the later style w/ tach/digi
> clock
>> and in doing so, will obviously change out the gauge on the dash. so at
> that
>> point it will have:
>> -new rad
>> -new thermoswitch on rad
>> -"new" gauge in inst cluster
>>
>> so if all that doesnt help, what is my only alternative? faulty WP?
>>
>> thanks..
>>
>> chris
>>
>>
>> In a message dated 2/3/06 12:36:09 AM Eastern Standard Time,
>> feller@carboncow.com writes:
>>
>>
>>> Did follow any previous threads on your troubleshooting so forgive and
>>> obvious stuff here...
>>>
>>> Red dot is blinking?
>>> Needle is buried on 100%?
>>> Are you boiling over?
>>> Can you confirm from your experience that anything feels hotter then
> usual?
>>>
>>> If truly NOT hot then...
>>>
>>> Bad sender
>>> Bad Gauge
>>> Bad Voltage Stabilizer in gauge cluster (usually fails both gauges from
> what
>>> I read)
>>> Shorted wire will cause 100% reading
>>>
>>> If TRULY hot...and good heads and you pressure tested the coolant system
>>> then...
>>>
>>> Bad flow due to water not being moved or blockage (you mentioned new
>>> radiator) is your answer.
>>>
>>> Thermostat closed 100% shut
>>> Bad water pump (just happened to my jeep, no noise but not 100% efficient
> so
>>> was over heating)
>>>
>>> Shawn
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
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