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Date:         Wed, 9 Jul 2008 13:53:04 -0700
Reply-To:     PB <pbrattan@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         PB <pbrattan@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Playing "Mechanic Ping-Pong" with my Westy!
Comments: To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <sottdaniel@turbovans.com>
In-Reply-To:  <01e401c8e198$9829bd50$6401a8c0@PROSPERITY>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Scott, I emailed you, but it bounced back to me. Patti **********************

On Wed, Jul 9, 2008 at 12:32 AM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans < sottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:

> need a bit more info. > one, is the temp gague itself - the needle, acting normally ? > You don't mention that it's reading high, just that the red LED is > flashing, right ? > > that light is 'over active' particularily in the 'coolant level function. > personally, I very much dislike that feature since it can give false > indications. > If it's coming on from the 'level' function ( and not from the 'i'm too hot > portion' of the waring cicuit )...... > then what I do to take that level function out of the picture compleletely, > sometimes. > is unplug the two-wire connector from the level sensor on the pressure > bottle and jumper the two wires together with a resistor. > Forget the value, but it's not critical. Just not 'pure open' and not > jumpered together - just some reistance. Try 1,500 ohms say. > > that will trick the level sensor part of the circuit into thinking it's ok. > then........at least you have a normal temp guage with a needle that moves > normally, and it should still flash the light if it gets really too hot. > I don't see that you say WHAT YEAR Vanagon you have. > the early ones will peg the temp needle at max if it turns on the red LED. > even if it's very cold and only been running a few minutes. The later ones > don't do that. > doubt you're having that though. > but that's what I would try for an experiment at least, is jumper the two > level sensor wires at the level sensor with a resistor, and see if that > doesn't get you to a normal acting temp guage. > > it is also possible for the circuit in the dash opr temp guage to be > faulty ..........but I've not run into that problem at all. > scott > www.turbovans.com > belive me, I have MANY tricks you won't see anywhere else. There are people > who knows things I don't know, for sure. But there are many, many tricks I > have that you won't hear about anywhere else. > and.......to carry on a bit - really gets me that people don't seem to > readily grasp the value of taking certain things out of the picture, so you > can see the rest of the picture clearly. I have been fixing cars that way > for over 4 decades. maybe longer. > oh yeah...........I have just gone around and around over a computer and a > shop , and I SO FEEL for anyone that has to depend on a shop to get their > car fixed - because too often what you get is is you spend money, but things > don't change. for that very reason, I am going back to doing EVERYTHING > myself on setting up my computer, cause I was in that cycle if I'd spend $, > it wold be ok for a while, then spend more $....then it would break again > ......... > You need to find people to work on your vanagon that will think outside > of the box. I rate about one in 1,000 car shops as really brilliant, sadly > ! > and vanagons are not that hard to fix at all really. > and it helps if you can find a Vanagon specialist - that makes all the > difference in the world actually. That and a rear burnign commitment ot > Results and great Value for your hard earned dollar ! > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "PB" <pbrattan@GMAIL.COM> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2008 5:51 PM > Subject: Playing "Mechanic Ping-Pong" with my Westy! > > >I posted a while ago that I took my Westy to a local German car mechanic > > because of oil and transmission fluid leaks. He pressure tested the > > radiator and said it needed to be replaced, so I let him do it. Well, > the > > leaks are fixed, but the engine temperature light keeps going on within > 5-15 > > minutes after I start driving. When I stop and check the fluids, both > > reservoirs are properly filled. The mechanic replaced the sensor, but > the > > light continued to go on. I've had the van back to the mechanic around 5 > > times, and it's still not fixed! I just dropped it off again today, and > the > > light was flashing when I pulled into the garage. The mechanic said to > shut > > off the engine, so I did. He then got in, turned it back on, took it for > a > > test ride, and the light didn't go on at all! I chose this mechanic > > because I drive past his garage every day on the way to work, and he has > > been there for at least 25 years. > > > > I called another mechanic, the renowned "Bela" of Burbank, CA. He told > me > > to ask the mechanic to check the hose temperature, and set the thermostat > to > > open at a lower temperature. The mechanic says that the replacement > sensor > > he installed was not the original one, and the original one was not > > available. He also said that the wires were corroded, and the wires are > > also unavailable! This has been going on since April! I'm afraid to > drive > > the van, even if the coolant appears to be full. I live in North > Hollywood > > (Los Angeles.) Does anyone have any suggestions? I sure would like to > be > > able to go to Santa Barbara in the Westy this weekend...(the French > > Festival! I went there LAST year in the Westy without any problem.) > > > > Thanks. > > Patti >


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