Date:         Sat, 2 May 2015 16:57:29 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Wonky temp gauge
Comments: To: Jeff Palmer <jpalmer@MYMTS.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <BLU436-SMTP783E75A36800534ED52F28B8D40@phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; format=flowed

At 02:44 PM 5/2/2015, Jeff Palmer wrote:
>Hi everyone.  85 Westfalia automatic with 300k km.
>
>Last year the temp gauge started pegging immediately upon startup.

Not a gauge problem, also should never happen 
without the light flashing.  If gauge pegs and 
light does *not* flash that is the gauge blinker 
circuit or incorrect voltage supplied to 
gauge.  Also, "immediately" is subject to parsing 
here.  If upon turning the key on the guage 
flashes for 2-3 seconds, then stops, then some 
seconds later starts flashing again while the 
needle heads for the red zone, you have an 
old-type coolant level controller which is either 
defective or has an open between the trigger line 
and ground, either a fault or the coolant is 
actually low in the pressure bottle.

>   Not too long after that the red LED refused 
> to stop flashing.  Feedback from the list 
> suggested it was the temp gauge so I replaced 
> it with strange results.  Upon startup the temp 
> gauge doesn’t respond, but then slowly begins 
> to climb until it pegs.  The LED doesn’t flash, but glows softly.

That needs diagnosis.  Right off the bat, the 
gauge must flash for 2-3 seconds every time you 
turn on the ignition.  If it doesn't, bad gauge 
or bad gauge supply or bad gauge ground.  If the 
supply is bad the gauge will read 
incorrectly.  If ground is bad the gauge will 
read correctly but the blinker will misbehave.

Yrs,
d


>The plastic cluster is barely holding itself together.
>
>Any thoughts on the gauge?
>
>thanks
>Jeff