Date:         Sat, 13 Dec 2014 07:24:21 -0400
Reply-To:     Roy Nicholl <RNicholl@NBNET.NB.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Roy Nicholl <RNicholl@NBNET.NB.CA>
Subject:      Re: My Vanagon's blinking coolant light problem vs other
              peoples'---it all blends together
Comments: To: mark drillock <mdrillock@COX.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <548B55EE.6060502@cox.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

They still share the function on new VWs.  The coolant light on my wife's 2006 TDi started blinking last November (temperature -10C) ... after we had the coolant flushed and replaced in August.  The mechanic had filled the system to barely reach the minimum level in the reservoir (in August).  Come winter, the level was not quite enough to satisfy the sensor on cold startup.   After the engine ran for a few minutes (no where near fully warmed up for a diesel), things had expanded enough to make the light go away.

On 12-Dec-2014, at 16:54, mark drillock wrote:

> The blinking temp gauge light is primarily for a HOT engine warning. The
> coolant level warning is a secondary feature that was added later on
> some VW models such as Vanagons. That is where they went wrong IMHO,
> sharing the same flashing light between 2 warning functions.
> 
> The added function relies on an added "relay" connected to the coolant
> tank level sensor. The "relay" is the only electrical bridge between the
> coolant tank level sensor and the dash warning light. If one were to
> simply unplug the "relay" it could help remove any doubt about what was
> causing the blinking.  If the same blinking still occurs while the
> bridge is out, the cause can't have even the slightest thing to do with
> the coolant tank level sensor.
> 
> Mark
> 
> 
> 
> Jim Felder wrote:
>> 
>> 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.
>> ................
>> 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
>>