Date:         Tue, 05 Dec 1995 10:36:36 -0500
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Matt Goike <goikem@state.mi.us>
Subject:      84 cooling ?

hello.

took my friend's 84 westy from michigan to the kentucky/tenessee
border this weekend, and experienced some wierd stuff.  wondering
what the heck is going on, neither of us have any knowledge of
waterboxers' cooling systems, and we left my bentley at home.   the
water pump had been replaced by (we thought) a competent mechanic
on thursday.  we left saturday.  after 3 hrs on the road@70mph, we
pulled over to find the fill bottle well over the full level, and coolant
dripping out.  we thought the guy overfilled it and let off the excess.  next
stop we discovered it was underfilled, and brought it back up to the full
level.  after about 2 more hrs, the temp warning light comes on and the
needle goes all the way up.  we pull over, let it cool, and continue, trying
to get to a garage.  the light goes off!  and on, and off, and so on,
seemingly randomly and intermittently (although always when we stop
for gas), for the remainder of the trip (no vw mechanics found open). 
the engine does not feel (to the touch) like it is overheating.  sometimes
coolant drips out at the fill reservoir, sometimes we need to add water. 
any experience with this sort of thing?  air in the system?  thermostat? 
thanks.

matthew (81 adventurewagen)

p.s. - went to the big south fork national recreation area - no  people,
cool limestone caves/cliffs/arches, and terrain.  woke up yesterday in a
cave, and took a shower in a 50 ft. waterfall - brr.