Date: Fri, 19 Apr 2013 22:08:39 -0400
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Coolant part2
In-Reply-To: <2a4bcd1f-a2ab-4c59-8395-ab3689634974@blur>
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OK!
You have an awful lot to learn. I'm guessing that you are fairly new to vanagon ownership or maybe even car ownership. The Vanagon cooling system is a little bit tricky with the radiator being both far away from the engine and also being raised. It is imperative that this system be tight (no leaks in or out) and that everything works including the electric radiator fan. Coolant system leaks are not always external or apparent. Loose or cracked cylinder heads can allow combustion gasses into the cooling system causing the pump to get air bound and stop pumping or this can also blow coolant out of the system while driving.
On the 85 and older vans, the coolant light flashing and the temp gauge rising can be from true over heating or a loss of coolant. At this point you need to pull over and shut the engine down.
There are two coolant tanks. The one near the license plate holder is just a recovery tank. To the left (remove the engine cover for access) is the pressure tank that is actually integral with the pressurized cooling system. The cap with the tube-hose connection is the pressure relief and also has the check to allow recovery from the other tank when the system cools down. This cap is a frequent failure item and should be tested on a regular basis. Anyway, you need to make sure there is always coolant in the pressure tank. Normally it will be almost completely filled. This is the tank with the level sensor. It is plumbed near the water pump inlet so that coolant is drawn from here to keep the rest of the system filled. After any significant coolant loss, you need to top it up here. The recovery tank is only good if the system is filled and working properly. Any loss of coolant also has to be investigated and resolved. Find someone that knows cooling systems and have the system pressure tested and them also test for combustion gasses getting in to the cooling system. This is a common problem on these engines. Regular additions of coolant is never a good thing.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Tina
Sent: Friday, April 19, 2013 9:11 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Coolant part2
To clarify the plastic bottle was empty behind license plate That's what I refilled. Yes I did use a 50/50 mix of original vw coolant.
Thanks for the replies
Tina
Sent from my Motorola ATRIX™ 4G on AT&T
