Date:         Thu, 20 Oct 2011 07:30:32 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Sometimes it does not ...
Comments: To: Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@q.com>
In-Reply-To:  <F7212B9C-9432-4DF8-AB7C-84CDC2E75537@q.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

On Wed, Oct 19, 2011 at 11:41 PM, Karl Wolz <wolzphoto@q.com> wrote:

> Dunno bout electrical issues, but it sure is a poor design with the
> greatest stress being at the point where the plastic is thinnest - under the
> o-ring.
>
> K
>

  ....Not to mention the stress caused to many Vanagon owners by that light
blinking for some reason other than why it is supposed to...or blinking for
unknown reasons that cause owners to think..."Sheesh!  She's gonna blow, I
lost the coolant...." only to find everything fine *except* that coolant
level warning system....
  In my humble opinion, a warning system that is itself undependable, one
that often gives 'false indications' isn't any good at all.  It's worse than
nothing.  After re-curring  false indications, one may be inclined to ignore
a 'real problem' should that capricious LED  indicate  when one is actually
happening....
"Wolf!...Wolf!" says the blinking LED..."broken warning, faulty connection,
failed relay, something weird...."  could  easily be, and often is,  the
sole reason for the blinking LED, rather than real coolant loss.
 I won't argue (anymore) that perhaps some sort of coolant level indicator
isn't useful, especially in a Vanagon with all the plumbing and it's
advanced age.....but only dependable indicators are worthwhile...IMHO..
  I've observed dozens of threads here about that coolant level warning
system being wonky, broken, miss-behaving, etc etc.   The one in my van has
been problematic, too.   I worried about it, stressed-out...and attempted to
get it working properly half a dozen times.  If it began blinking today....I
would not think I'd lost coolant.....I would think...."There goes that
coolant level light again....wonder what's wrong with it now"....and a
system like that....I don't care for that stress.