Date:         Mon, 26 May 1997 16:00:49 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         mholser@Adobe.COM (Malcolm Holser)
Subject:      Re: Redline Water Wetter

I have the same trouble -- one of my '86's does not want to warm up.  I
replaced my thermostat to no avail -- both were good, as I realized
later when I found out that there was no flow.  The pipes running to the
radiator remain cold until the thermostat finally opens, but it takes a
warm day and climbing some big hills to get it there.

Since this is a syncro, and the pipes cross over in front of the engine,
it is really easy to reach in and feel them.  Most thermostats allow a little
flow, so that the warm water will reach the thing, but most are also attached
to the engine, rather than hanging out like the Vanagon's.  The VW's has
a small vlave-hole, but it probably won't allow much flow until it warms
up.

So I've just about given up.  Nothing appears to be wrong, the beast performs
flawlessly, and the engine just does not get hot -- the radiator and hoses to
it stay cold as well.  My other '86 warms up quickly, and then stays there.
Neither seems to overheat, even on the hottest days, although the one that
warms up once lost a waterpump dramatically, and might have overheated then.

When the syncro does finally warm up, it does not get very warm (I've *never*
had the fan come on, and it get mighty warm around here).  It does not seem to
be running excessively rich, either, which can keep the engine temps down --
it passes California SmogII fine.  It has no rear heater, either, so no
problems in the rear core (it's a Kombi).

I'd love to know anything else to check, meanwhile, I'm glad it's not 
overheating, leaking, or the other horrors that these seem prone to.

On another note, I have added a tachometer to this thing, but it does not
work.  It works in the other 86 (a GL), but in the Kombi, it only works
when the engine is above 2500 rpm or so.  At idle it read very high, and
then abruptly drops as the rpm's increase, and seems to read fairly accurately
above 2500 rpm.  I tried swapping coils, thinking perhaps the coil was bad,
to no avail.  The tachometer has only three connections -- one to ground, one
to hot and one apparently to the coil green wire.  Any ideas out there?
It appears like it needs a dropping resistor or capacitor in the circuit.

malcolm