Date: Sat, 26 Mar 2011 12:38:15 -0700
Reply-To: mark drillock <mdrillock@COX.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: mark drillock <mdrillock@COX.NET>
Subject: Dim Bulbs, was: "Troll" posting: Rescue Tape still in place...
In-Reply-To: <AANLkTinscV+E5Ph_Xi7M-UTahVvDj8a=4xV=fA7OZnzP@mail.gmail.com>
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You can skydive for years without needing to use a backup chute. Why not
just leave it at home or sell it to some sucker?
Lets see, the 93 Jetta had a coolant level warning system too, as well
as wbx Vanagons. The flashing led gets your attention if the coolant
drops a little and often well before enough coolant is lost to damage
anything. You may never have this happen. Some people have never had a
flat tire while driving and that is why spare tires are useless for them.
I am working right now on an 85 I just got very cheap. Some dim bulb
installed a separate temp gauge with temp numbers on it and cut the 14
pin wire to the factory gauge so it does nothing, not even coolant
level. Then a few years later he had a leak in his radiator. It was a
pretty slow leak so he just added coolant now and then and kept an eye
on his fancy gauge. Then the leak got much worse and he cooked the
engine before realizing just how fast the leak was. Then he put an ad on
Craigslist for a dirt cheap 85 that needs a radiator and head gaskets
and now I have a nice 85 to fix. I removed the fancy gauge this morning
and will fix the stock gauge and led as needed. Maybe some dim bulb will
buy the fancy gauge from me?
Mark
Don Hanson wrote:
............
> If you happen to still have a WBX motor running in your Vanagon...maybe
> that coolant level warning system IS a good idea and worth trying to keep
> functioning properly...But as he points out and implies that I should have
> pointed out......I have an inline motor in mine that may not be quite as
> likely to spit out it's coolant. Many other vanagon's have replaced their
> WBX motors with Subaru, Zetec,, Tiico, or Inlines also. By now, stock-type
> motors in Vanagons may even be in the minority, who really knows?
>
> My gauges (water temp and Oil temp and Oil pressure and my Alt. light (for
> the water pump belt) ) will show me, should I somehow lose my coolant. All
> without fussing around with milli-volts and resistors and micro-switches to
> make that 'low coolant level' warning light work without properly without
> 'false indications' etc etc. I just monitor my overflow tank to check my
> coolant level at every gas stop, as I check my oil level. I scan my
> instruments every few minutes as I drive.
>......................
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