Date: Sun, 25 Apr 2010 00:44:32 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Water Cooler System Design Flaw Workaround?
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original
re
However now that i did a bit longer testdrive I find it still overheats
you meant it runs hotter on the guage than is preferred, right ?
I define 'overheating' as inablilty to sustain running without boiling over,
puking out coolant, or consuming coolant and puking out etc. etc.
Short of that I call 'running to warm.'
If you suspect it's running to warm first thing you do is get ( or grab
your ) infraread temp gun, shoot the engine and hoses and see what temp it
is Actually running at.
180ish up to 190 is nice.
170 is too cool. 160 is very too cool. 200 is undesireablly hot.
shoot the engine block.
and both main hoses ..and see how different that are.
main idea is to find out if it's really running to hot.
if it is ..then you think thermostat, then radiator.
and that's if there are No external or internal coolant leaks.
also ..one odd failure mode ..that is not thermostat, or tired radiator, or
a leak, or water pump or thermostat ........
is exahust gases getting into the coolant the the head/head gasket's.
What it looks like it hot engine, cold radiator, like the main pipes are
blocked but they are not, and it's not t-stat , a leak, radiator etc.
Not that uncommon actually.
Can happen intermittantly too. Ok sometimes, not others.
if you ever get mysterious 'unbleeding' ..that's what it likely is.
the normal order to test cooling systems is -
pressure test for external and internal leaks.
then thermostat
then radiator and condition of coolant.
then consider if water pump is circulating coolant ...very rare that they do
not.
test compression or sniff coolant if exahsut leaking is suspect.
radiator fan ...must work if the van sits idleing in warm weather.
I frequently hear of people thinking that if there van runs too warmly or
hot at 30 mph and above, and the radiator fan doesn't work..
that's why it's running too hot.
Once the van is moving the radiator fan isn't needed of course ....like once
you get going 30 mph you don't need the rad fan.
I have occasionally seen a rad fan come on doing downwind and uphill....like
actual air speed was low ..but a vanagon can drive around just fine without
a working radiator fan ...so don't get misled there.
It's good to have it working ...but if it's not working, that's not the
problem once driving along .
just start by finding out what the real temp is at the engine.
the infra red temp gun is so useful...
shoot the exhaust header pipes and see if all cylinders are running about
the same.
Get an idea of how good alingment might be by measureing tire temps ...at
various spots on each tire. You find one tire significantly hotter than the
others ...
same for brakes.
point is, endlessly useful inexpensiven, non-intrusive tool. Most peopl
reading this have one.
It's silly not to have one if you work on your cars/vans. Find bad wheel
bearings with it...endless uses. They start at about 30 bucks.
plastic tank radiators in 83 and late vans ..
all I ever see is that eventually they don't remove heat so well. That's
the only failure mode I see in them. I would guess they only work as poorly
as 70 % as they once did when there are say 12 plus years old.
I'l remind the Cooling System Gods to look out for you and your van, and do
right on ya.
Scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tobias Gogolin" <usertogo@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, April 24, 2010 9:06 PM
Subject: Re: Water Cooler System Design Flaw Workaround?
> Yes the sensor was so grimy, after cleaning it the flasing and runaway
> instrument went away!
> I also tied the Bong loading for my van and it works great!
> However now that i did a bit longer testdrive I find it still overheats
> and
> finally I notice I used to hear the radiator fan even after parking! I
> havent heard that fan for weeks and I havent noticed! How should I
> troubleshout it where are the relais or fuses please!? Thanks!
>
> '84 Automatic
>
>
>
> On Thu, Apr 22, 2010 at 8:29 PM, David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net>
> wrote:
>
>> At 11:29 PM 4/22/2010, Tobias Gogolin wrote:
>>
>>> >If you have more than about 180k across the pins it will set off the
>>> low-coolant alarm after a few seconds
>>> Is that the sensor on the reservoir?
>>>
>>
>> Yup. Let me know if you want to know how it works.
>>
>> d
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Tobias Gogolin
> Tel. Movistar (646) 124 32 82
> Tel. Telcel (646) 160 58 99
> skype: moontogo
> messenger: usertogo@hotmail.com
>
> Blog: http://zeitgeistensenada.blogspot.com/
>
> You develop Sustainable Ranch Technology at
> http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/SURA-TECH
> an Open Source Electric Motor/Alternator at
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Performance_Axial_Flux
> and an Open Source Motor Controller at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GoBox