Date:         Sun, 3 Apr 2011 04:08:09 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Flaky coolant light
Comments: To: Robert Fisher <garciasghostvw@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <AANLkTinogoJQfwb8QxGrPh2J0cous=VT70qDYMCg+Jhs@mail.gmail.c om>
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At 03:02 PM 4/2/2011, Robert Fisher wrote:
>Sometime after that the coolant light started a pattern in which it would
>continue blinking after start-up when cold. If I shut it off after a couple
>of minutes or even, say 10 minutes it will behave normally on the next
>start-up, whether it is immediate or later (but before the engine cools). If
>I don't re-start it, it'll sometimes remain blinking the entire time I'm
>driving no matter for how long, and sometimes it will stop on its own. The
>coolant level is fine, as is are the temps. I've checked the connector,
>jiggled the wires, etc. but without change. The only other electrical
>anomoly I've noticed on the dash is that sometimes the clock light doesn't
>come on with the dash lights.

Pull the coolant level controller to make sure.  If the light still
blinks, which I'm rather confident it will, you need to replace or
have replaced the 10 uF 16v capacitor inside the temp gauge.  John
Meeks did a writeup here
http://www.vanagonauts.com/Warning-Light-Fix241.htm about replacing
the cap from the front of the gauge.  Some people (me) think it's
easier to take off the gauge face and circuit board.  Either way, if
you can do small fiddly work and reasonable electronic soldering you
can fix it.  Otherwise I can, pmail me.  I'll calibrate the gauge if
I do it, and you can do that too if you can get hold of ten
volts.  You could vampire it off the back of the fuel gauge if
necessary.  Beyond that you need a few resistors and some small clip
leads.  It's also possible (but a fair amount more work, harder than
doing the ALT and OIL lights) to replace the LED with a much brighter
non-flashing one or a somewhat brighter flashing one.  The latter
might ideally use a larger cap, say 15 uF instead of 10.  Replacing
the LED also involves removing a 5v zener diode from the board and
replacing with a resistor.

Yrs,
d