Date: Sun, 19 Jan 2014 22:14:08 -0500
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: White smoke when cold-Thermostat
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
The correct t-stat for the vanagon is 87C and there is no reason, benefit,
or advantage to use different ones for summer/winter. The correct stat will
have a small lower, (bypass) disc with a step in it. The top disc will also
have a rubber seal (not talking about the o-ring seal), to ensure no bypass
when closed. There should not be any bypass or bleed hole. I miss the dealer
ones. The aftermarket including so called German ones do not have the
consistency. Note that if you get a stat from almost any local parts store
you will probably get the wrong one. Check the lower disc very carefully.
As for running the heater or how far to drive both become a function of
need. When I use my van for work in winter believe me I want warmth as
possible. Sooner if I need to defrost the windows. I turn the heat on! I do
avoid use of the blower though. The front heater only has access to outside
air. Putting the blower on high just means more cold air to heat. Once on
the highway the engine will warm fairly quick. The oil will take a while
longer especially on the 1.9 since those don’t have the oil heat exchanger.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
SDF ( Scott Daniel Foss )
Sent: Sunday, January 19, 2014 9:43 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: White smoke when cold
starting the van without driving it around isn't good for it.
Waterboxers vans can take a good while to get fully up to temp often.
Does it..espeically it's a 2.1 , 86 and later, get up to mid-position on the
temp gauge in a reasonable amount of time ..like say 15 minutes max ?
Many wbxr vans are running around 'too cold'. ( they need a new german
t-stat ) lower on the temp gauge is not 'better'.
fully up to temp ...centered on the gauge is right, and important.
also .don't run the either heater very much when first running cold.
Especially the front one.
Doing so can keep the engine from getting up to temp.
running the engine with no load on it is bad for it, particularly cold.
if you can't drive it under load for say 40 minutes...better to let it sit.
for a 2.1 it's easy to change the t-stat.
I like the 70C in the summer ...'the other one' ..78 C I believe, for
winter.
Cooler is not better..warmer is.
heck ..I've seen a 2.1 waterboxer get really seriously messed up ..smoking
and stumbling ..
after I got into it ..checking injectors, temp sensors and what not ..
I said to the college student woman who owned it ...'You drive this 4
blocks the the Food Co-Op right ? " ( like a 5 minute trip one way in the
dead of winter )
she said yes. I said ..'you can't do that with these vans.'
'
On 1/19/2014 5:27 PM, Alain Thibault wrote:
> Allo all
> Thanks to all for your explanations and patience. I checked the expansion
tank today while the engine was running. I had opened the expansion tank
prior to start the van (not the one behind the licence plate) and it was
full. Nothing budge before and after running the van. The only bubbling I
saw was at the top hose location because when I remove the cap, some
coolant leaked as it was completely full and I may have allow some air to be
introduced in the tank (does it make sense). Anyway, no white smoke today
other than the condensation (second start in 2 days...maybe that is why) .
The white smoke seem to be happening mostly when I start the van after 5-6
days without running. Maybe I should start the van more often.
> Voilà
>
> Alain
>
> Anyway, I'll keep my eyes open...
>
> The bubbling stopped within 1 minute... had I guess but it
> stopped.Nothing from the lower hose
>
> Le 19 janv. 2014 à 10:54, Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com> a écrit
:
>
>> I know others have already commented. Are you seeing smoke or "water
vapor"?
>> Water vapor is a normal part of the combustion process. It is more
>> visible on a cold engine as it will condense in the exhaust and
>> become apparent as the exhaust heats up to drive it out. Water can
>> actually puddle in the muffler and if hollow, the catalytic converter
>> shell as well. When you drive it, are you driving it far enough to
>> actually get everything warm enough to drive the moisture out? Just
>> getting the coolant up to temp does not qualify. Are you driving it
because you need to or do you think you have to?
>> Weekly short cycles can be worse than just letting it sit. For short
>> runs the oil will also hold some water and this will pass the rings
>> and also add to the vapor cloud.
>>
>> Combustion chamber, head gaskets, and even cracked heads in the
>> exhaust ports are all possibilities. Careful coolant monitoring and
>> oil analysis will help determine if there is a problem or not.
>>
>> Dennis
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
>> Behalf Of Alain Thibault
>> Sent: Saturday, January 18, 2014 7:11 PM
>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> Subject: White smoke when cold
>>
>> Allo all
>> My van sits in the garage for most of the week and I drive it only
>> once a week. When I start it, there is a lot of white smoke...I mean
>> a lot of smoke. Alter 10-15 minutes, when the engine has reached
>> normal temperature, there is no more smoke. I know that it is normal
>> that there is smoke when the engine is cold but that much, I have
>> rarely seen it. Being fairly new to the Vanagon world, I wonder it
>> this is normal? I would appreciate any of your thoughts on the
>> subject. I don't know if it is related to that, but when the engine
>> has reached normal temperature, it will need 2-3 cranks before the
engine starts again...
>> Thanks
>> Alain
>> 1986 Westfalia
>>
>> Sent from my iPad 2
>>
