Date:         Fri, 6 Jan 2017 17:38:05 -0500
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Coolant level warning light - '88 GL - 2.1 WBX
Comments: To: John Rodgers <jrodgers113@gmail.com>
In-Reply-To:  <CAMOH8LLkz31wZMmLjs05T8+qGaAFsKqYNMskujD0U6Cz+eGpwg@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

First verify whether the controller is triggering or broken.  Easiest way
on the 2.1l is simply remove the easily accessible controller (has 42 or 43
painted on it) from the fuse/relay panel.  If light still comes and stays
on you're looking at a gauge problem only.

In that case verify that you have ten volts plus/minus a half volt between
the gauge power and ground pins (ground is the skinny one, power is the one
nearest the fuel gauge).  If those are good, swap out the gauge from your
other van and toss/diagnose/repair this one separately.  Van Cafe has
gauges that will work, though the faceplate graphic may be trivially
different from your year.

Yrs,
d

On Fri, Jan 6, 2017 at 5:30 PM, David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net> wrote:

> The light coming on or not is regulated by the little circuit board that
> it's mounted on inside the gauge (it's designed to come on at power-on and
> any time the gauge sender line falls below the voltage on a 5.1V zener
> diode on that circuit board, and stay on at least two seconds every time it
> comes on).  But whether it blinks or not is irrelevant, because the LED
> itself as originally installed in the gauge is a five-volt self-blinking
> LED, i.e. it has a blinker chip embedded in the epoxy in series with the
> actual LED chip.  Either the blinker chip has failed in the ON position or
> someone has replaced the LED with a non-blinking version.
>
> Yrs,
> d
>
> On Thu, Jan 5, 2017 at 4:35 PM, John Rodgers <jrodgers113@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> What does it mean when that light turns on without blinking. Solid red.
>> Stays on. Engine does not get hot. Temp needle never moves off of the
>> light
>> spot once it's warmed
>>
>> Whats up with that!
>>
>> John
>>
>
>