Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 18:28:53 -0500
Reply-To: ray.wei@US.PWCGLOBAL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Yi-Ruey Wei <ray.wei@US.PWCGLOBAL.COM>
Subject: Re: overheating??!!
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Dan,
See the e-mail eariler to Jeff Wiegand "Re: Coolant & Oil".
I suspect you've got the coolant leak (YES, AGAIN!!!) at "expansion tank",
the coolant temperature sensor on the expansion tank, either the back
(under the 3rd seat) or front heat core or somewhere else (may even be the
head gasket again due to the poor head job).
Vanagon has two plastic coolant tanks at engine compartment. You need to
check the "expansion tank" (you have to open the engine hood to see it, not
the "refill tank" behind the license plate which you keep adding the
coolant (and hopefully you're using the phosphate-free type)). It must be
low and caused the sensor to turn on the warning light. You disconnect the
hose from refill tank to the cap, open the cap (if your AC hose block the
way to loose the cap like mine, you have to loose 2 Philips screws which
hold the expansion tank) and top the coolant. What happened was you have
the coolant leak and use up all coolant at refill tank. Once the refill
tank dries up and expansion tank will form an air pocket which can no
longer get rid off unless you do the refill directly. You may have to keep
checking and refilling the refill tank everyday like I'm doing right now
until you find the source of the leak.
Good Luck.
Yi-Ruey Wei
87 Vanagon GL Syncro w/leaking cylinder head
85 Jetta GLI w/160,000 miles
Dallas
ray.wei@us.pwcglobal.com
Dan Resler <resler@LIBERTY.MAS.VCU.EDU> on 07/15/98 03:29:39 PM
Please respond to Dan Resler <resler@LIBERTY.MAS.VCU.EDU>
To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM
cc:
Subject: overheating??!!
OK, I need some advice - what's going on here?
I was driving along in my '87 Westy yesterday when my red coolant
light started blinking with the temp gauge at it's normal position. I
pull over and note that the coolant reservoir is empty and the belts
are all OK, plus the water pump is definitely spinning. So I fill the
reservoir and get back on the road.
[Extra important info before I continue: I had my heads done about
5000 miles ago, and have about 10000 miles on a new water
pump. There's no puddles under tha van, plus my fan is working OK (at
least it kicks on in traffic or after I stop.]
The light is still blinking after a couple of miles, so I pull over
and check things. The fluid level in the reservoir has dropped very little.
Belts still OK. Hmmmmmm.
I get back on the road and notice that while the red light continues
to blink, my temp gauge is reading normal. So I gingerly ride the 8
miles home and park it.
There's no sign (sound or smell) of the engine overheating.
This morning I note that the reservoir is almost empty again, so I
refill it, fire it up, and hit the road. Within 100 yards the red
light is blinking again!
So what's happening? The manual says a blinking coolant light means
low coolant - fill the reservoir! But could the coolant be so low that
I need to fill it more than once? And what is the process involved in
the system emptying the reservoir ... how long should that take?
Could there be something more ominous wrong here? Is it save to drive
the van if the temp gauge is normal but the red light is blinking?
dan
--
Dan Resler
Dept. of Mathematical Sciences
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA
23284-2014 USA
email: resler@liberty.mas.vcu.edu
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