Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 06:51:57 -0800
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: 87 Westy overheating after coolant change
In-Reply-To: <CACK29ckpndu=dpHmgL6B=ESwu__ENAMNn9oOjMGq8v6y8ZbqrQ@mail.gmail.com>
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I'll comment: my coolant temp gauge also read low, in fact it's doing so
right now. If the connections to the sender are compromised, the gauge
will read low rather than not reading, or giving an intermittent reading...
The instrument must be dampened to "even out" the reading, or something.
I'll suggest that anyone who depends on the Vanagon and it's somewhat
quirky cooling system should learn how the motor and it's cooling system
behaves....for instance, the temperature of air from the heater... That is
VERY telling...my first mistake as a new VANAGON owner was to screw up a
coolant flush, not bleed it properly and wrongly deduce that since the
heater was cool, the van was also running cool.....that mistake. Cost me
5hrs to replace a head gasket on my inline VW motor. I often stick my
hand down there now to feel for warm air.
Different subject but related: Over 4yrs ago I burst the oddball hose
that exits the front of the head of this motor and I repaired it with
Rescue Tape, the actual brand, Rescue Tape.......that hose, with it's tape
repair, is still in place and works fine.... That tape is good stuff
On Dec 22, 2014 5:31 AM, "Steven Shelton" <shelton4@gmail.com> wrote:
> On our cross-country trip last spring, my 1.9L was reading too cool.
> Sometimes the needle was barely going above the bottom line. I assumed it
> was the thermostat, but when we were slowing driving around campgrounds
> looking for a site, the radiator fan would come on but the gauge was still
> barely registering. How could the fan be coming on if the coolant was
> still below operating temperature? Eventually I decided that there could
> be a bad connection at the sending unit. On the 1.9L it's a female push on
> terminal to a pin with a flat head on it. I cleaned the connector and pin
> as best I could with a DeoxIT pen and carefully squeezed the connector with
> a pair of pliers to give it a tighter fit. The temperature gauge has read
> right where it should since then.
>
> On Mon, Dec 22, 2014 at 3:41 AM, SDF ( aka ;jim lahey' - Scott ) <
> scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
>
> > as stated some already ..
> > a sudden loss of coolant can result in no change being noted on the temp
> > gauge..
> > since the sensor can't read steam or air very well.
> >
> >
> > to the original poster ..
> > AND..on a water cooled vanagon while driving you should look at the temp
> > gauge about every minute..
> > or every two minutes max.
> >
> > on a 2WD 2.1 waterboxer engine the t-stat housing is originally and
> > usually plastic.
> > there are two temp sensors..
> > one is for Engine Coolant Temp to the ECU ..
> > the other on runs the gauge .
> >
> > some things to watch out for ..
> > the 4 hex head screws ( 10 mm wrench size ) about 20 times I've had the
> > brass insert in the lower part of the housing spin in the plastic ..
> > giving you a screw that won't come out ..
> > making drilling or grinding the head off necessary.
> >
> > if it does come apart nicely ..
> > put anti-seize on the threads of the screws going back in.
> > fwiw ..unless I did it ..I have yet to see one drop of anti-seize on any
> > threaded fastener on hundreds of vanagons I have worked on ..just
> > something that people don't seem to know about or consider.
> > it can make a huge difference next time it comes apart.
> >
> > where the temp sensors stick in the holes on the side of the t-stat
> > housing ..
> > if touching those ...nice to have new o-rings on hand.
> >
> > the big metal clips ..last time I got some at the VW dealer they are now
> > plastic.
> > Keep those good metal clips.
> >
> > the plastic where the metal clips go can break ...that plastic gets
> > brittle with age.
> > if you can ..
> > replace the whole thing with a metal one.
> >
> > I like to run the warmer t-stat in the winter.
> > I use only good german ones ..Behr brand .
> > or Waller sometimes.
> >
> >
> >
> > On 12/21/2014 4:01 PM, Dennis Haynes wrote:
> >
> >> The 1.9L needs to have coolant actually flowing to read temperature
> also.
> >> Even engines with the sensor in the head need the coolant to be
> accurate.
> >> Same problem if the pump stops turning such as a belt failure. In both
> >> cases the gauge will not read high until after you make steam or melt
> >> stuff. Over the years I have removed a number of heads that have
> actually
> >> melted along with some piston tops.
> >>
> >> Dennis
> >>
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
> >> Of mark drillock
> >> Sent: Sunday, December 21, 2014 8:05 PM
> >> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> >> Subject: Re: 87 Westy overheating after coolant change
> >>
> >> That is an excellent point. The 86+ has the temp gauge sender in the
> >> thermostat housing. It needs coolant flowing to get an accurate reading,
> >> especially with the plastic housing most vans have. Syncros have a metal
> >> one and there are metal aftermarket ones available as well.
> >>
> >> Mark
> >>
> >> Kevin Duvernay wrote:
> >>
> >>> Thanks. I will add a new thermostat to the to-do list. Quick question,
> >>> where is the sensor for the temperature gauge? Is it measuring coolant
> >>> temp or engine temp? Im trying to think about what its response would
> >>> be if there was a catastrophic loss of coolant, a major leak.
> >>>
> >>> Kevin
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
>
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