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Date:         Thu, 8 Oct 2009 12:22:27 -0700
Reply-To:     David Kao <dtkao0205@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Kao <dtkao0205@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: What Should I See On the Temperature Gage?
Comments: To: Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <86476e250910080958x743266ecnf9d88b56e47fa292@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

You probably need to check or replace the thermostat in your first Vanagon. I had experimented with quite a few thermostats before. One of them had this symptom. I determined that the coolant temp should be kept as constant as it can. Cylinder wear will increase if the temp is too low. I tossed the problematic thermostat and have been happily reading my temp gauge being more stable as it should be.

David

--- On Thu, 10/8/09, Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM> wrote:

> From: Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM> > Subject: What Should I See On the Temperature Gage? > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > Date: Thursday, October 8, 2009, 9:58 AM > Okay, I've posed this question before > in a slightly different form but here > goes again. > I'll describe the appearance/behavior of the temperature > gage on two > different vehicles, both running 21.L WBX w/automatic > tranny, both with the > GL dash (small temp gage under the tach) > First vehicle the needle of the temp gage rises slowly when > starting from > cold, never gets up to the LED, stays just below in normal > outside temps. > When climbing steep mountain passes the needle will climb > up to the LED and > at just above the LED the fan will come on.  But when > going down the other > side of such a pass the needle drops way down almost to or > sometimes against > the bottom mark on the gage.  Normal running at > highway speeds in the flat > the needle will be about half way up to the LED, maybe a > little higher. > Second vehicle the gage, from a cold start, quickly runs up > to about the > center of the LED and stays there.  Rises a little to > the top of the LED > when climbing a mountain pass, fan may come on if the > needle gets to the top > of the LED.  But running down the other side of the > pass needle stays up at > the LED, never drops down to the bottom like the first > vehicle. And needle > stays centered on the LED when running at highway speeds on > the flat. > I'm assuming that the second is correct and the first has a > thermostat that > is sticking open or at least passing more coolant to the > radiator than it > should.  And that the second is the way I'd > expect:  Thermostat opening and > closing based on the temperature of the coolant and keeping > the engine at a > constant operating temperature. > So, which is normal? Which is 'right'? >


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