Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2011 20:42:41 -0700
Reply-To: Wes Neuenschwander <wes.neuenschwander@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Wes Neuenschwander <wes.neuenschwander@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: Botched Coolant Flush Implications?
In-Reply-To: <4DF8F996.2080107@comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Thanks, Ken. A concise and informed assessment and reply - as always. You
rock.
The pressurized vessel is - and has remained - full, and the atmospherically
vented reservoir is holding at half full, so I suspect everything is fine.
Just wish the 'local shop' had done a proper job (including opening the
heater valve when purging the air). Alas, not like the good old days.
-Wes
-----Original Message-----
From: Ken Wilford [mailto:kenwilfy@comcast.net]
Sent: Wednesday, June 15, 2011 11:28 AM
To: Wes Neuenschwander
Cc: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Botched Coolant Flush Implications?
Wes, if you weren't seeing any high temperatures on your trip then the
engine is fine. The nice part about the 2.1l coolant system is that it
will self bleed over the course of a few days. Probably there was some
air trapped in the system that the shop didn't get out but if your
heater was working the heads were never uncovered so no damage could
occur (front heater core is higher than the heads so if it has coolant
then the head definitely did.
I would just top off the bottle with the pressure cap on it (to the left
in the engine bay). Fill it all the way to the top. Then fill the one
behind the license plate door to full and keep an eye on it over the
course of the next couple of days. If they both stay full then you are
fine and no further bleeding is required. It may still burp a few more
times but as long as the pressure bottle is full, just top off the non
pressure tank until the system level stabilizes. I would check the
level when everything is cold first thing in the morning just so your
readings are consistent and you can top things off without worrying
about getting burnt by hot coolant.
Hope this helps,
--
Thanks,
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com
Phone: 856-327-4936
Fax: 856-327-2242
On 6/15/2011 1:57 PM, Wes Neuenschwander wrote:
> I recently had the coolant system flushed and coolant replaced in my '91
> Westy at a local independent VW service place. I have about 15,000 miles
on
> my rebuilt (GoWesty 2.3 liter) engine. When I got the vehicle back, the
> coolant in the reservoir (non-pressurized tank) was at the 'full' line.
> After driving the vehicle about 100 miles, I noticed the heater didn't
seem
> to be heating fully. After I opened the heater valve 100% for a few
miles,
> the heater function seemed to be restored, providing well modulated
heating
> over the full range of the heater valve settings. Engine temperature - or
> rather coolant temperature - was normal the entire trip (consistently
> mid-point on the coolant temp gauge, just as before the coolant flush).
>
> However when I got home from the trip (about 500 miles, including some NW
> Washington mountain passes, I noticed that the reservoir was empty (didn't
> check the pressurized tank, alas). I refilled the reservoir and after
> running the engine a few times during short day trips around town, both
the
> reservoir and pressurized tank levels are normal (pressurized tank is full
> and the reservoir is at the mid-full mark).
>
> There is no evidence of leaking coolant - anywhere. My guess is that the
> air was not fully purged from the coolant system following the
flush/refill
> operation (perhaps, at least in part, due to air trapped in the heater
lines
> and/or heater core).
>
> Two questions:
>
> 1) What do I need to do (if anything) to ensure the system is fully
> purged now?
> 2) What possible adverse effects might there have been from having an
> incompletely purged coolant system on a drive like this (including some
> full-throttle periods over the mountain passes)? In particular, of
course,
> is it likely that I might have damaged or otherwise compromised those
> infamous waterboxer cylinder heads??
>
> Also, a corollary question: I clearly specified that the replacement
> antifreeze must be Volkswagen brand only (in the past, I've had shops use
> 'house brand' coolants - i.e. whatever the local tech/guru thought was
> best). How can I verify that the antifreeze used was genuine VW and not
> some off-brand?
>
> -Wes
>
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