Date:         Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:27:11 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Coolant Low Level Light Useful?
Comments: To: neil n <musomuso@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To:  <c4e7c5f90910141157k499b93b8kbdff99f45563a16b@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

  I don't think they are needed.  I use my temp gauge to keep track of
what's happening in my cooling system.  I check my coolant and oil every
time I fill up..Well, .almost every time.  Another check, if you think the
temp gauge is not good enough to tell is to flip on the heater for a
second.  If you can't get warm air and your temp gauge is being weird, you
should stop and check the fluid level in the coolant system.
 You can run an inline with low coolant for a lot of miles.  I took mine to
California and back with a leaky head...I drove till the temp started rising
(usually a couple of tanks of gas) then I'd top up the coolant...3000miles
like that, before I finally replaced the head gasket in about 4hrs,  motor
in the van.  I may have been lucky but according to urban ledgend, the
inline VW motor is really hard to damage...

  The "belt AND suspenders" type, they will probably not agree.  Probably
have good reasons why you can't be safe without one..They may be right.

  Mine is taped over so you can't even see it inside my instruments  It was
a constant blinker when I got the van....easier than trying to McGuiver a
fix on my 1.8liter inline, which had no coolant level light before it came
to my van.

On Wed, Oct 14, 2009 at 11:57 AM, neil n <musomuso@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi all.
>
> Like most, I check oil/coolant almost every day when on long trips.
> But.....
>
> In the event of a sudden coolant loss, have others found that this
> light gave enough warning so they could pull over in time to prevent
> the engine from over heating? (assuming there's somewhere safe nearby
> to pull over)
>
> I realize my Westy's Jetta engine has different coolant
> plumbing/paths, but if it's useful on the WBX, I'll read up on relays
> and wire one up.
>
> Neil.
>
> --
> Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"
>
> http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
>
>
> http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines
>