Date:         Wed, 15 Oct 2014 23:50:38 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Flashing temp gauge
Comments: To: Jeff Palmer <jpalmer@MYMTS.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <BLU437-SMTP818ADA5F63F09C1DF337DB8AB0@phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 11:27 PM 10/15/2014, Jeff Palmer wrote:
>Should also mention that today i retrieved the van and now the
>needle maxes out upon startup as well :)  A lovely complement to the flashing.
>
>So what is the preferred approach here?  Replace the instrument
>cluster?  The gauge?  If I need either, are they the same for all model years?

Pegging needle indicates that you have an old-type controller and
that you either are legitimately low, have a wiring/sender problem,
or bad controller.

Prolonged flashing that varies by humidity indicates leaky capacitor
(10 uF 16V aluminum or tantalum) inside gauge.  If you have an
old-type controller and the needle is *not* pegging then the
controller is not causing the light to flash.

See http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=353678&start=0
-- it's a long redundant thread but it's all in there.

Yours,
David