Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2011 17:12:53 -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: I guess if I'm putting on a tencentlife oil cooler . . .
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reI wonder how many drivers are even aware that when they first turn on the
key...or let the vehicle read their retinal pattern or enter the name of
their first pet to get the thing ready to start....that all those lights and
flashing buzzing things are supposed to be telling him/her that all the
warning systems are functioning? I bet most people never even glance at
the dash till they have their belts fastened and they maybe want to see what
time they are getting started, or perhaps see if they can get there with the
gas in the tank.
Well..
it is awfully easy to get into the habbit of just turning the key to 'start'
..and if she fires up ..
all must be fine.
BUT ..
it's very easy to miss a non-functioning warning light that way.
I just had that happen. I was watching this 'new used' engine run in an 87
Wolfsburg ..
I can hear a 'Zap' .now and then .......sounds like a plug wire leaking
..and a big sopark jumping to ground ..
so I wiggle and poke while it's runing..
and see that the left front spark plug wire has a big 5/8ths inch long spark
jumping to the connector for the oil pressure switches . Hmmm..that's
weird.
Wonder if that hurt the oil pressure cirucit in the dash at all. .
So I turn on the key ..
the oil light should just steadly flash away ..
but it doesn't , it just flashes on once and is out.
so I poke around...
sure enough ...the spark plug wire zapped to low pressure oil pressure
switch and blew it out so it can't conduct even with no oil pressure !
so ..if you don't check first that the warning lights are working ..like
turn key to 'on' ..then look ..
which is says to do in the owners manual..
you don't really know that they are working.
many an engine has blown up that way.
and of course ..
people are just dumb ..
had some freinds driving an old Subauru...with a factory optional oil
pressure gauge ..
reading zero.
it never even registered on them that THE oil pressure guage was reading
zero any timoe the engine was running. Been tha way for years probably. I
found a wire off the sender.
and..in the case of warning lights..if you don't check that they are working
BEFORE turning the key to 'start' ..you really don't know that they are
working at all. I've seen it many times ..
guy driving a TDI syncro Vanagon ..
no oil pressure indiation at all anywhere..
he didn't even realize it. Probably been that way for a couple years at
least.
it's common even...
that a warning light is not working and people don't even realize it.
I have zero inerest in owning an eye reticle-examiing car ..
I'll take my chances with good old fashioned manaul stuff thank you.
enjoy 'em while we can ..
I simply can not imagine that there will be driving as we know it now in say
20 years.
by then..
you will program where you want to go on your home computer..
and the car will do all the driving, with no human input.
and it won't be on fossile fuels either .
scott
