Date:         Fri, 8 Dec 1995 20:04:52 -0500
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         SyncroHead@aol.com
Subject:      Re: 1985 Vanagon Cooling Problem after drive from Atlanta to Durham

In a message dated 95-12-08 19:09:01 EST, bevstout@acpub.duke.edu (Beverley
Hayes Stout) writes:

>Just drove my '85 GL from Atlanta to Durham this afternoon--no problems
>until I got off the freeway.  The cooling led light came on, but the
>temperature gauge never registered hot--and the cooling fan has not come on.
>The fill tank for the coolant is completely full now, far above the "min"
>mark--it was a little below "min" when I left this morning.
>
>I will be at this address until noon on Saturday if anyone has any
>suggestions--particularly Triangle area Vanagon people!
>
>Donald Baxter

The "cooling led light" is connected to a level sensor in the primary coolant
tank.  If you remove the engine cover, this is the tank on your left, and has
a cap on it with a hose leading to the refill tank.  The refill tank is the
one that you can see through the license plate opening.  The LED indicates
that you have a low coolant level in the primary tank. Once the sensor sees a
low coolant condition, a latching circuit keeps the LED on even if the
coolant goes back up again.  You'll often notice the first indication of a
low coolant while rounding a corner or going over a bump, due to the coolant
sloshing away from the sensor.  The LED latching circuit is reset when you
turn of the van.  

You probably don't have a significant problem.  I'd just add coolant to the
primary tank until it's full and keep an eye out for signs of a coolant leak.

Jim Davis
87 Syncro
88 Wolfsburg