Date:         Sun, 8 Oct 2023 17:54:02 -0700
Reply-To:     Mark McCulley <mark@MARKMCCULLEY.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mark McCulley <mark@MARKMCCULLEY.COM>
Subject:      Re: 87 Westfalia - Running hot?
Comments: To: Mike Finkbiner <mike_l_f@hotmail.com>
In-Reply-To:  <MW4PR02MB7409741F3F2E54A559506BB4CFCEA@MW4PR02MB7409.namprd02.prod.outlook.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

Driving up steep grade in lower gear, higher rpm will make a healthy stock Vanagon overheat eventually. That’s my experience. I monitor oil temperature and pull over before oil temp gets to 250F. This occurs before engine overheats enough to trigger flashing coolant light. A climb of 3000 ft or so is enough to get oil temp to 250. I don’t push it, just pull over and take in the view, take my time.

I think your van is likely OK, just need to stay aware of its limitations and heed any warnings.

-Mark

> On Oct 8, 2023, at 5:22 PM, Mike Finkbiner <mike_l_f@hotmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Useful suggestion to clean the connections at the coolant temp sender.  It’s the older round style, so I pulled the spade connectors and sanded them.  We’ll see if that makes a difference.
> I have also been looking at possible problems with the fan.  It did come on while I was running it to try bleeding and checking temperatures, so that works.  It also comes on when I turn the AC on.  I haven’t heard it come on really loud, which is apparently what it’s supposed to do when the radiator is too hot.
> GoWesty has a kit to allow you to calibrate the temperature gauge, but without knowing what the actual engine temp is I'm not sure if that's safe.
> Next thing is probably to find a nice steep grade to drive up at slow speed and see what happens.
> 
> Here's an interesting thread on TheSamba about coolant sendor variability.

> 
> https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8085137
> 
> But, if my notes are correct I had the thermostat, thermostat housing and senders all replaced three years ago so I don't know why it would have changed this year.
> 
> Mike Finkbiner
> Moscow, Idaho
> mike_l_f@hotmail.com
> 
> Any idiot can face a crisis-it's this day-to-day living that wears you out.
>                      -Anton Chekhov