Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 16:31:47 -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: Coolant & Oil
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Jeff,
I suspect you've got the coolant leak at either front heater core or the
back (under the 3rd seat) heat core. Check the "expansion tank" (you have
to open the engine hood to see it, not the refill tank behind the license
plate). It must be low caused the sensor to turn on the warning light. Do
use phosphate-free coolant to top up. Since you don't know what kind of
coolant been put in, after you located the source of the leak and fixed it,
replace the whole coolant by using VW phosphate-free coolant (you may use
Texaco or Prestone phosphate-free type, but not the cheaper one). Check
the vanagon.com web page to see the helpful hint to flush the cooling
system. Air pocket is always the problem. With 112,000 miles I hope your
head gaskets have been replaced since I rarely hear head gaskets can last
that long on any Vanagon even if you IGNORED the suggestion of owner's
manual (it said the coolant is a permanent G11 type, don't need to be
replaced unless you replace any metal parts within the cooling system) and
flush the system once for every 2 years AND REFILL WITH THE VW
PHOSPHATE-FREE COOLANT.
For lifter noise, I'd suggest you to drain the old oil (since you may have
5W-30 oil been put in the engine by some quick lub's. Look at the owner's
manual, VW needs a lot thicker oil than American or Japanese cars.) and
use 20W-50 (at least for summer) and new filter (DON'T use Fram oil
filters. Fram or other generic brands call for the same filter as VW
Golf/Jetta for Vanagon which is not suppose to. The pressure relief valve
inside the oil filter is different even though the filters have the same
size. Actually Fram don't even bother to put the valve in there. Get Mann
or VW filters. Timmons VW at CA sells VW Vanagon filter for $4.95).
Sometimes the thick oil will help to reduce the lifter noise.
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
Jeff Wiegand <jeff@ELECTROPONICS.COM> on 07/15/98 08:53:27 AM
Please respond to Jeff Wiegand <jeff@ELECTROPONICS.COM>
To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM
cc:
Subject: 8(
Someone please tell me this isn't what I think it is...
First off, I'm an idiot.
I bought an overpriced (way) 85 Westy from a local dealer two months
ago. She had 112,000 and is/was in excellent shape bodywise/interior.
Well, the coolant light is now flashing for about 5 minutes till it
heats up I guess, and then it is fine. I can smell coolant in the
heater, too. I'm also getting some bad lifter? noise right after a
highway run of about 10 miles. Then it slowly goes away. Is it the
heads? If so, does anyone have a good solution or how to at least keep
it where it's at for right now? I'm in St. Louis, and could use a good
mechanic for her, too. We bought Brownie for a family trip next month,
and I just assumed for that price, that she would be at least in decent
mechanical shape. I'm afraid to go back to the dealer because I might
strangle the salesman. Any help/advice would be appreciated. When I do
go back, I want to be prepared.
JW
======*~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jeff Wiegand
Chief Meteorologist
Electroponics, Inc.
PHONE: 314.771.6067
FAX: 314.771.7757
WEBSITE: <http://www.electroponics.com/>
EMAIL: <jeff@electroponics.com>
CHAT: <telnet://www2.electroponics.com/>
PGP Public Key: <http://www.electroponics.com/jwPublicKey.txt>
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