Date: Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:20:05 -0500
Reply-To: Benny boy <huotb@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Benny boy <huotb@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Subject: Re: Telemetry (was Re: Coolant pressure test... video.)
Don't worry, Craig is way over 30, and a gentlemen on top.
As for his question i think i know why, Craig has a Air-Cool logo stamp on
his heart :-)
To Craig, what I personally don't like about Vanagon it's the expansion
tank, but that is not a Vanagon only problem and even not VW only. Even me I
still use them in the Subi conversion but the good news is that there is
basically no pressure in it.
If i'm right and by your post you have a 1.9L, the engine temp sender and
the ECU temp sender are side by side, in the hottest spot (coolant wise).
On most normal car you don't even have coolant level sender, some do but
it's in the refill tank. The EX tank will drop coolant first because it's
the highest point... in the back, the only other higher point is the
radiator upper bleed screw, still, if you loose coolant even there the EX
tank will empty itself.
That said, it's still a very strange and complex cooling system. It as work
yes but that doesn't justify the complexity. Same goes for the very stupid
fuel line layout. That is a lot of hoses for such a small van.
The problem now is the ageing cluster, wire and sender. Like you see on my
video, that stupid thing is showing everything but the real engine
temperature. I swapped the cluster this morning and it's still acting
strangely, yes it as a new sender. Finally after almost 2 hours i traced the
problem, bad connector/wire in the junction box.
You could had a safety/second gauge, maybe even a head temp VDO on the plug
like on air cool? Or a second VDO water cool monitoring system.
At some point I agree with others as to the system did his job, even if I
don't agree with the system at all.
So, to all you guys who think your ALT light will save you van of a total
meltdown, go unplug your ALT warning light wire... don't be surprise if you
see no warning in the cluster.
Om some conversion I use 2 sender:
http://www.benplace.com/fabian/subi_conv_003.jpg
The left one is ECM and cluster, the little right one is a second temp gauge.
This view show you where the sender are located:
http://www.benplace.com/fabian/subi_conv_001.jpg
That shinny aluminum part on top of the engine is call the coolant manifold,
in our case in a reverse position (from car compare to van). This is the
exhaust of hot coolant, both side of engine join together in a very direct way.
Understand that monitoring the coolant temperature at the hottest point is
the most effective way of warning you about an engine/coolant problem.
Remember that water/coolant will react to heat way faster than oil, but I'm
sure you know that.
Voila my good friend.
Ben
On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:54:09 -0800, Robert Keezer <warmerwagen@YAHOO.COM> wrote:
>I'm not sure of Greg's age, but if he's under 30,or of the generation who's
first toy was a computer, he might have expected a computer voice to come on
saying "Low coolant, low coolant!" Maybe in the future emergency warnings
might feature a hologram of a mechanic in overalls on the dash, pleading
with you to pull over.
>
> How about a automatic shutdown system like those found on portable
generators? Problem with that is is might shut the engine off while you are
passing a semi.
>
> Or, even better: How about three warning lights, like for the Westfalia
water tank, green, yellow and red?
> Green-all fine. Yellow- you should act now because you don't have much
time left- and red- Sorry- your engine is toast!
>
>Robert
> 1982 Westfalia
