Date: Sat, 9 Nov 1996 10:25:53 -0500
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Richard Fischer <hiker1@fuse.net>
Subject: VW Camper Cooling problems
I have read postings to this list about cooling before, but this problem is
perplexing: [this is a little long, so unless you like a challenge, you
might pass on this one]
I have a 1984 Westfalia camper with 102,000 miles. Original heads, coolant
has been changed every 2 years or so with the "right stuff". I have tried to
purge the system of air, but I think there is still some in there. I tried
Tim Smith's (I think) method of putting sharpened aquarium tubing in the
radiator ( front end raised the nealy 16" of course). The end of the tubing
was placed beneath a 2 L pop bottle half full of 50:50 antifreeze/water. I
went through the shop manual procedure to get bubbles out, but
unfortunately, when the antifreeze in the system got hot, the tubing got
very soft and blew out, sending a fountain of hot antifreeze/water all over!
Well I finally let it cool down, and put in more antifreeze and just
"cracked" the radiator purge bolt until bubbles stop coming out. But they
never seem to be all out. In any event all seemed to work well. When warmed
up and the heater lever open all the way, I feel hot air on top (windshield)
and floor, so radiator doesn't seem airlocked.
That's the background. Now occasionally after this, I'd check the overflow
tank and it would be empty. So I fill 'er up with 50:50 coolant. All would
seem fine. Then later she's be empty again. So I'd do the same. Next time
I'd check when the engine is hot, the overflow tank would be to the top!
Then the next time back to near normal.
On a trip last weekend, we had driven about 80 miles and the Oxygen sensor
and alternator lights lit up but very dimly (it was dark), about 15 seconds
later, they pulsated and became dimmer, then went out! I pulled over and
found a mist of coolant on the rear bumper, and when I opened the inspection
door behind the license plate, again, the coolant was full to the top and
apparently had blown excess out the top which the engine had apparently
blown onto some of the sensor wires causing the temporary lights.
I drove another 50 miles, the temperature gauge stayed normal, and the upper
and lower front vents air temperature felt the same with the heater lever
full open, but when partially closed, the top felt luke-warm, and the bottom
warm.
The next moring, when I opened her up to check things (cold, about 28 deg)
the coolant was near the normal mark, maybe slightly high. Then after
driving 150 miles home later that day, and checking often, the coolant level
stayed "normal" the entire time???
I cannot make any sense of this. Can anyone else?
Rich Fischer
Cincinnati
Think for Yourself, question everything, and enjoy life!
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