Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2007 11:15:53 -0400
Reply-To: John Meeks <vanagon@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Meeks <vanagon@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Overheating Advice
In-Reply-To: <C31FCE9A.1591%cichowski@montana.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Hi Ben,
Welcome to the wonderful world of Vanagon ownership.
The symptoms you describe suggest some air is trapped in your cooling
system. Try parking with the van going up hill, turn the heaters on,
and with the engine warm open the bleeder bolt on the radiator a
crack. You need to remove the main grille to see it on the top left of
the radiator. Do this often till you get no more bubbles from here.
Sorry if I state the obvious, but that is usually the cause of the
problem you describe.
Good luck,
--
John Meeks
Vanagon Rescue Squad
http://www.vanagonauts.com/Vanagon_Rescue_Squad74.htm
'91 Multivan, '85 GL
Northern Michigan
KC8ZFN
On 9/26/07, Ben Cichowski <cichowski@montana.edu> wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I'm pretty new to owning a Vanagon - bought an '88 Wolfburg Weekender in
> Iowa and drove it back home 1300 miles to Montana with very few, if any
> problems.
>
> Now, it is overheating. It did this only for very brief moments on the
> interstate drive back home, but now it does it all the time. I've searched
> through archives and tried nearly everything (I'd be glad to write this up
> to share with other newbies, but want to get to the question at hand).
> Thought it was the fan/thermo switch at first....but....
>
> The hose feeding coolant to the radiator is hot, and the one exiting is
> cold. I'm thinking both should be fairly hot (within 20-30 degrees of each
> other at least) So, I'm down to two possibilities (I think...)
>
> 1. Plugged radiator - I completely pressure flushed out the radiator and
> filled with the proper mix of fluid (this did not work). The passenger side
> of the radiator gets warm, but the driver's side does not. It stays cold
> enough that the fan does not turn on (I've check or replaced every
> possibility associated with the fan as a few things needed to be done
> anyway- switch, resistor, fan motor, fuses, etc).
>
> 2. Weak water pump - according to the guy who sold it to me, he put in a new
> water pump 5K ago, so I am guessing it is not this??
>
> Do any veterans have advice?
> Is there a RIGHT way to trouble shoot this?
>
> I think I am still looking at a plugged radiator. I got water to flush
> through it under garden-hose pressure, but a lot of grey water came out and
> I know 40 psi is a lot more than what the water pump puts out. I am living
> on Montana wages with a new baby on the way so I am hesitant to take a
> chance on buying a new radiator for 200 if it is just a guess. Please Help!
>
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