Date: Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:06:18 -0700
Reply-To: Adrian Bertarelli <abertarelli@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Adrian Bertarelli <abertarelli@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: one last effort to get the temp control gauge under control
In-Reply-To: <B93CEC77BF22AC4BAC3153499966BC53B5AF84@sya01.SYA.local>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
When the light goes off and the temp sensor pegs, is the water really
hot? If you open the coolant reservoir, is it physically boiling
over? If it is i would bet circulation is the issue. Maybe something
with the thermostat not letting it circulate to the radiator. If
that's the case it would get hot quick and overheat quickly. Maybe
thermostat housing. Maybe a big air bubble in the radiator, that would
cause it not to circulate either. You need to determine if the sensor
is failed or if it is actually overheating. If its the sensor you
may need to find a cleaver way to wire it directly from the sensor to
the circuit board to bypass whatever it is that's causing the sensor
to fail. (bad wires) If its circulation i would check the thermostat,
thermostat, housing, and radiator. If you have a bad mechanic, did he
properly bleed the air out. The vanagon is not your normal beast you
need to tilt the car and turn the bleeder screw and slowly burp the
air out. I know you probably went over all the little things, but i
hope i can give some insight.
Adrian
On Tue, Dec 15, 2009 at 12:02 PM, Woody Halsey <WHalsey@sya.org> wrote:
> Well, after a couple of years of minimal use and maximal body work (my
> wife says that the V'gon is like an aging woman with a lot of face work:
> beautiful on the outside but ...) I decided to fix the
> overheating/pegging temp gauge problem once and for all.
>
> New thermostat, temp sensors, water pump, radiator and fresh fill of
> coolant have NOT solved it. The mechanic who is doing the work for me
> now says he thinks a head gasket job is in order. Does this make sense?
>
> * There is no leaking around the gasket.
> * The expansion tank is filled to the brim.
> * The temp gauge pegs over and the red light starts flashing as
> soon as the engine is turned on. Can it be "overheating" if it is not
> even "warmed up?"
> * Mechanic states there is no flow of coolant through the system.
> (Is it possible to check that with a stethoscope?)
> * Mechanic insists that the problem is mechanical, not electrical.
>
>
> Awaiting your wise suggestions before spending any more money,
>
> Woody
> 83.5 V'gon
> Haverhill, MA
>
>
>
> W. W. HALSEY II
> President
> T 978.725.6828 ext.115 M 978.204.5795 www.sya.org
> <http://www.sya.org/>
> 439 South Union Street, Lawrence, MA 01843
> SCHOOL YEAR ABROAD
>
>
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