Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 19:38:39 -0500
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: My Vanagons blinking coolant light problem vs other
peoples'---it all blends together
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Next time you start the engine and the light is blinking DO NOT shut the engine off. Go to the back and check the coolant level in the main pressure bottle, quickly before the coolant expands and pushes the air bubble out enough to cover the probes and turn the light off. If the coolant is sucking down turning the engine off will allow it back into the tank and after few shots the lot will be off and you will be on your way thinking only the light was a problem. If low coolant or an air bubble is not a problem than just wait and see if the light goes off on its own. Turning the engine off and back on is just wearing things out in that case.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Jim Felder
Sent: Friday, December 12, 2014 12:36 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: My Vanagon's blinking coolant light problem vs other peoples'---it all blends together
I have now driven Vanagons for so long that I can no longer separate the problems I have had in past years from problems I read about on the list ; )
I am having a problem now where on a warm day, I have to shut down my engine after starting and restart to get the blinking light to go off. This gets worse as it gets colder to the point that in the 30Fs, I might have to wait a minute or two and restart as many as three times. It always goes off, though.
I have had problems before similar to this, but to my recollection not exactly line this. Compounding that is the fact that coolant light blinking is such a common problem that a problem I had 12 or 15 years ago sounds suspiciously like what I was reading about a week or two ago. I don't remember if my previous blinking light problem had anything to do with cold weather but this one seems to.
In any event, it's a common problem.
My sensor is clean, my connections are good, my coolant is properly mixed and fresh and I have pressed the back of the temp gauge while the car is running and no change. My grounds are good and in fact I have an extra ground or two.
Any ideas? Come on, help me fix it QUICK while it is the only thing wrong with the car!
Jim