Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2011 19:21:13 -0700
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: flashing coolant light purpose
In-Reply-To: <4E7BD79D.6080202@cox.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
On Thu, Sep 22, 2011 at 5:49 PM, mark drillock <mdrillock@cox.net> wrote:
> Since you are a relative newcomer to watercooled Vanagons it is
> understandable that you would not fully appreciate the flashing led as a
> beneficial warning device. My close family has put more miles than you
> on at least 10 different Vanagons. I have probably done 500,000 miles
> myself. There have been numerous cases where the flashing led got the
> attention of the driver and likely saved the engine. Sometimes the
> flashing was for low coolant and other times for high temps. If you
> always drive on boring roads where there is nothing to do but scan a
> bunch of gauges that is fine. Flying small planes is like that a lot of
> the time, no constant stream of blind curves and crazy oncoming passers,
> no wild animals to dart out in front of you, no drunks weaving up on you
> from behind at night, etc. We like to take our vans far and wide on
> sometimes challenging roads where at times you must keep focused on the
> roads and your surrounding if you plan to get through unscathed. Having
> a red light suddenly flashing in your face is far better than having to
> rely on looking away from the dangers around you to scan a bunch of
> idiotic gauges. YMMV.
>
> Mark
>
>
I guess we will never see eye to eye on that blinking coolant level light,
Mark. You have told me (and the list) many many times how that is really
important in a Vanagon...But I just don't happen to think so, myself....so
I'll not bother to try to make that widget (that I don't want or need,)
work 'properly'.....and perhaps sometime in the future, when I blow up an
engine, you can go "See...See! Told-ja so! An I can go all 'humble pie"
and admit you may be right...or argue like an internet fool and say
...."that light had nothing to do with it"....
Myself, I find that blinking light distracting...If I were driving along
one of my normal mountainside roads and at the very instant when that
started flashing, drawing my eye and attention, some boulder appeared in the
middle of the highway, or the oncoming motor home veered into my lane....I
could die right there, wondering if that light was working properly and
stuff...
Peace on it! grin.
| 
