Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2011 14:48:00 -0800
Reply-To: Oxroad <oxroad@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Oxroad <oxroad@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Engine running COLD
In-Reply-To: <AANLkTikT+HM5Yx7BiKWbzRVACXK92_GfWjYipsotHyvy@mail.gmail.com>
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Gregg--
On my 83.5 1.9L water-cooled I had a similar problem which was caused by
installation of the "cooler" thermostat.
I think the "cooler" thermostat is 80 degrees instead of the stock 87
degrees.
I ordered the stock thermostat from a VW dealer in Reno, NV where I was and
while it had the stock thermostat part number on the box
it had the number "80" stamped in the metal on the actual thermostat. When I
brought that up at purchase the parts moron, I mean Parts manager there said
those numbers are internal numbering and mean nothing.
Well....hmmm. What to do?
So I installed it. The bus ran cold. The needle never got up to the LED
indicator and the heat wasn't so heat-y. So I ordered another stock
thermostat and guess what? It had the number
"87" stamped on it. (Strange how those numbers coincidentally coincided with
the opening temp....grrrr).
Anyway, new 87 degree thermostat and she ran as usual.
I don't mean to jump the gun on this, but if someone put in the cooler
thermostat or no thermostat in your rig they may have been trying to
compensate
for a sluggish radiator. Although I have to say the radiator replacement
isn't a terrible job to have to do and the new radiators were about $500 for
the part
when I did mine. Now I think they are more in the $150 range.
But, maybe someone fell into the trap I was in and just installed the cooler
80 degree thermostat.
Best,
Jeff
83.5 Westy
LA,CA
On Thu, Feb 10, 2011 at 6:21 PM, Gregg Carlen <gregg.carlen@gmail.com>wrote:
> Hey list,
>
> I finally got my new (to me) van earlier this week. Picked up a 90 Westy to
> replace my 85 Westy that my wife and I sold a few years back. Have to say
> I've missed having a Vanagon and glad to be back in one.
>
> So, as no suprise, I have a laundry list of repairs and maintenance to take
> care of (the 4 different car tires is another story...), but the one that
> has me a little stumped is that the engine runs cold. By cold I mean the
> needle barely comes off the bottom of the scale, if at all.
>
> I'm in Northern Virginia, so its just below freezing most of the time
> lately. The symptoms I've got are the temp warning light flashes when the
> van first starts and stays flashing for several minutes, then goes out. The
> needle never makes it off the bottom of the scale, unless I've driven for
> about 20-30 minutes and then stop and idle for a while. Then it will rise
> just off the bottom of the scale, but never get up to running temp.
>
> Took a 3 hour round trip up to visit Dave O. in Maryland the yesterday and
> same thing. The van never got up to temp. Never got anything but warm air
> out of the front heater. The rear heater was a 'above-warm' but never hot.
>
> Since I've seen SOME movement on the scale, I'm thinking the temp
> guage/sensor is okay. The PO said he never had any problems with it. Now,
> since this was a Miami van all its life, I'm suspecting the PO pulled the
> thermostat.
>
> Any thoughts about what might be causing the low temp I'm seeing? Any way
> to
> check for a thermostat without pulling coolant hoses (and making a mess)?
>
> Thanks,
> Gregg
> 90 Westy (finally!)
>
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