Date:         Fri, 8 Aug 1997 13:48:38 -0400
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         kelphoto@bright.net (mark keller)
Subject:      Re: Vanagon temperature problem

Yeah Alex,

I heard a couple of good response and would like to toss another response.

=46irst, My candian engine kicks butt, and doesn't get hot, and if I want 85
mph outta it, it does it. Period.  My weight is 3400 lbs. What is yours?

Second I was told that the candaian motor didn't come with a water pump.
Question is your WATER pump the same for all three motors?  You could have
a funky impeller.

OK, Do a static pressure test. I believe V's are the 7-10lbs range.  If it
fails, fix it. The cooling system will never Cool a working motor, ie
loaded or one that is putting out a lot of horsepower, unless the system
reaches this pressure range and stays there.

 Dynamically, get a hold of a infared temperature guage, or find a shop
with one.  Drive some, Once just after the needle begin to move ie 25%.
Once ant 50% and once at 75%, or whatever your feel you luck will hold.
Check your "system" temps at the thermostate and the radiator. This little
guague should give you a picture of you cooling system.

The obscure.  I've seen rads and A/c condensors that were incorrectly
painted with common aersol paint.  A real no no.  Seems that either no
paint, or a tar based paint are the only options.  If your radiatior got
"painted" the result is that the wrong paint will "insulate" your rad,
instead of allow it to transfer heat.

The merely obvious.

 Make sure the A/=E7 condensor isn't full of bugs, and that you don't have
some fog light, spare tire, or other gizmo blocking the air path.

The extremely Obvious

Also, make sure you get a couple of thermostats, and pay extreme attention
to the houseing, that there is not something amiss.  The thermostat should
go in easy without force.  Also the gasket should be the correct side of
the housing.

Well I hope this cools you off!

Merely Mark
91 Carat WLE
Lazarus



>I have an '88 vanagon.  I bought it about 14 months ago at 92,000 miles
>and I now have 114,500 miles on my van. When I bought it I had a new
>radiator installed.  Since then  I've had the engine replaced three
>times.  When my engine first went out I bought a remanufactured engine
>from the Volkswagen Canadian factory. The engine has since been replaced
>twice more on warranty.  The problem seems to be temperature which at
>times runs over 50% and can fluctuate. I've taken my van to three
>different Volkswagen dealerships and they check it over and tell me
>nothing is wrong with either my cooling system or the engine. It runs
>hotter at higher rpms but cools down at lower rpms. I now have about
>1,200 miles on  this engine and the temperature gauge can run up to 80%
>when I  ride down the freeway on a hot day in the flatlands with the air
>conditioning on full blast. My expectation is that the engine get hot
>only when I go up a big hill (with the van fully loaded) and not heat up
>just cruising twenty miles at 65mph down the freeway.  Recently, It has
>been over 100 degrees here in LA and I just know that this engine is
>running too hot. I have a friend who had a similar temperature problem
>and he told me when his engine failed and was replaced his mechanic
>refused to install a Canadian engine  and only a German engine was
>accepted by him and installed.  My friend  has not had any temperature
>problems since.  When this last engine was replaced I asked both
>Volkswagen and the dealer to install a German engine.  They both told me
>the German engines are unavailable.  I have a case in with VW.  However,
>all they seem to do is refer me to the dealer who tells me everything is
>ok.  I had an '85 vanagon (watercooled) which I bought new and got
>210,000 miles on it. It ran about 40% constant temperature (unless I
>went up a big hill on a hot day).   Can you or any one help me figure
>this out? I am really getting tired of breaking down; and having my car
>gone for up to a week at a time; of borrowing a car to use when my car
>breaks down; of taking my car to the dealer and being told nothing is
>wrong; and especially of everyone I know telling me to get a different
>car.  Thanks.
>Alex Sanchez
>sanchez2@ix.netcom.com