Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2011 17:19:15 -0500
Reply-To: mcneely4@COX.NET
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
Subject: Re: flashing coolant light purpose
In-Reply-To: <CAHTkEuJgP9jmnXQSoL=DBbc6SGxhgnTsaR+Pi68ZkwK7MM==5g@mail.gmail.com>
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---- Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> On Thu, Sep 22, 2011 at 1:22 PM, John Rodgers <inua@charter.net> wrote:
>
> > I wonder if there would be some other way to identify such a failure. I
> > wouldn't mind having an audio alarm of some type in addition to the
> > light for low coolant warning - but if a belt breaks and the pump stops
> > turning and pumping - like you say - you may miss what the real
> > problem is until it's to late. As a matter of fact - until you mentioned
> > this, I don't think I had ever even thought of it. Now I am aware, I
> > know to stop immediately when that alternator light comes on and check
> > things out.
> > It is astonishing
> > the number of people who just get in their vehicles and just drive,
> > never ever monitoring the engine until it acts up or quits.
> >
> > Do Happy Scanning, Have Happy Driving!
> >
> > John
> >
> >
> That is why they put things like flashing lights in most cars now....because
> people aren't aware enough to actually use a gauge. Hence, those flashing
> warning lights, those blinking "Check Engine" notifications on your digital
> dashboard...There is a reason those are fondly called "Idiot
> Lights".....they wake up the Idiot who is driving the vehicle to the fact
> that something is wrong with it....without confusing him/her with any data,
> with any incremental knowledge like you might gain by monitoring a gauge..
>
> I get a kick out of the very new vehicles....they should just have a great
> big flashing dollar sign...followed by a minus sign......because often, when
> you get some indication of problems with your vehicle's operating
> systems....it will not tell you what is wrong....you must take the vehicle
> to the dealer to have him read the fault with his diagno$tic computer....at
> a very high shop rate and probably appointment needed and 'do not drive this
> vehicle if you see this warning...have it trucked to the dealer'....
>
> Personally, that overly-complex electrical circuitry in order to warn an
> Idiot car owner....that is one of the reasons I so enjoy my old vanagon....I
> can put actual working gauges on it and see things....as they happen...
>
> Don Hanson
I have one of those vehicles with a display system that tells all (but nothing). It even has a tire pressure monitoring system, complete with a little electronic graphic of a flat tire. And yes, it has a "Do Not Drive" graphic, consisting of a triangle with the word "STOP" in it for things the builder deemed worthy of such a warning. One knows not what prompts the warning. There are numbers of idiot light signals, but nary a gauge.
The upside is, the car has now 93K miles, and none of those warnings has ever appeared, except the tire pressure warning on cool downs like happened this week (and of course, they all light up initially on startup).
On a lot of these modern cars, especially those from Japan, nothing ever goes bad. But you're right, if anything does, be ready to pay out a lot of money.
--
David McNeely
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