Date:         Tue, 1 Dec 1998 15:47:17 +0100
Reply-To:     "Dr. Rainer Woitok" <woitok@RRZE.UNI-ERLANGEN.DE>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Dr. Rainer Woitok" <woitok@RRZE.UNI-ERLANGEN.DE>
Organization: RRZE (Regionales Rechenzentrum Erlangen)
Subject:      Coolant temp mystery
Comments: To: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@VANAGON.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Hello everybody,

recently a strange coolant temperature problem hit  me: after sitting on
the driveway for two days I took the syncro out for a ride.  The outside
temperatures were just  around  freezing.  After driving  less than 1 km
(!) suddenly the red "check coolant" LED started flashing and the needle
of the  coolant temperature gauge  rocketed.  I immediately  pulled over
and shut off  the engine.  Since it was  dark I couldn't check anything,
so I walked back home,  canceled my appointment, did  a few other  phone
calls, and finally returned  to the car half  an hour or an  hour later,
armed with a flashlight and a bottle of water.

However, no coolant  was missing, no  wet spots, nothing.  I started her
again and cautiously  drove home.  She behaved  perfectly normal.  I let
the engine idle and watched the temperature gauge  rise slowly until the
needle reached the LED and then stopped moving, as is normal.  I checked
the car from below and again didn't find anything.  Since then and until
now everything is back to normal.

I  suspect    it to be an    electrical  problem, that   is,  either the
temperature   gauge (approximately DEM  80.-) or  the temperature sensor
(approximately DEM  25.-) or some   wire in between (grounding the  wire
from the sensor to the gauge  would be interpreted  as "very hot").  But
it's difficult to diagnose a problem that isn't there, isn't it?

Has anybody experienced something similar?  Any  statistics as to what's
the most probable cause of the problem?  Any other useful hints?

Appreciating any answer :-)

Sincerely
 Rainer

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
!!!!!! Neue Telefonnummern beachten !!!!!! Mind new phone numbers !!!!!!
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rainer M Woitok                  | Phone: (+49-9131) 85-27811,-27031 |
| Regionales Rechenzentrum         |                                   |
| Friedrich-Alexander-Universitaet | Fax  : (+49-9131) 30 29 41        |
| Martens-Strasse 1                | Telex: d 629 755 tf erl           |
| D-91058 Erlangen                 |                                   |
| Germany                          | Mail: Woitok@RRZE.Uni-Erlangen.DE |
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------