Date:         Wed, 2 Oct 2013 08:09:31 -0700
Reply-To:     mark drillock <mdrillock@COX.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         mark drillock <mdrillock@COX.NET>
Subject:      Re: Blinking red light of death
Comments: To: Larry Alofs <lalofs@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To:  <Xy4X1m0193l49Wx01y4YwX>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

If pulling the relay with it blinking does NOT stop the blinking, then
the blinking is caused by something in the instrument cluster. That
means forget fooling with the coolant level sensor or sensor wiring and
focus on where the problem really is, up front. It may need the
capacitor replaced inside the temp gauge or a replacement of the temp
gauge. It could be a wiring path weakness near there too, in the cluster
or the cluster ground wire.

If pulling the relay with it blinking DOES stop the blinking, then the
blinking is caused by something in the coolant level sensor system.
Usually that means at the sensor itself, like a bad sensor, sensor
probes coated with something that should be cleaned off, or bad contacts
at the sensor wiring connector. It could be the sensor wire junction at
the round 7 pin inside the engine compartment wiring box, it could be
the 43/42 relay itself.

The coolant level early warning system can save your engine from cooking
to death after a simple leak that could be easily fixed. It should be
kept in working condition.

Mark

Larry Alofs wrote:
> Mark,
>    And if it does or does not stop, what conclusion should they draw?
>
> Larry A.
>
>
>
> On Tue, Oct 1, 2013 at 4:52 PM, mark drillock <mdrillock@cox.net
> <mailto:mdrillock@cox.net>> wrote:
>
>     People with 86+ vans that have a persistent blinking on start up can
>     just reach into the fuse/relay panel and pull out the 43/42 relay,
>     whichever they have, while the van is still running, and see if the
>     blinking then stops within about 5 seconds. That will tell the tale as
>     to where the cause lies.
>
>     Mark