After lusting after one for = many, many years, we've finally joined the ranks of vanagon owners with the = purchase of our traum-wagen (dream car) - an 85 Westy. So far, everything appears to work great and = "Wolf" (kids choice) survived his maiden family trip of 300 miles with wife, = kids and two Newfs as passengers.

I found a Bentley manual and = this list and have spent way too much time (if possible) planning projects. = First item - change the coolant. The prior owner had the car two years and had = never done it. Unfortunately, the garage doesn't have enough clearance = due to a couple of beams; great for hanging up canoes - but bad for jacking the = front end up the required 15 inches. Also, the drive way is too steep = to block and jack the van. So, decided to have the coolant flushed = and filled at a local VW shop - highly recommended by the list and a friend - and = the cost seemed reasonable.

Great place, knowledgeable and friendly folks. = Job finished on time at promised cost and drove off happily. Wolf = seemed in good spirits first few miles down the road - but noticed the temperature = gauge was above the half-way point where its always been. A few more = miles down the road - moderate stop-and-go traffic - the gauge is all the way up = and the little red light is flashing: DANGER WILL ROBINSON - = DANGER!

Let Wolf cool down and slowly make my way back with = frequent stops, the temperature gauge hovering around three-quarters of the = way up and the fan humming along. The shop is just about to close - = and we agree to 'let them watch the patient overnight'. The following day = the 'spezialist' confirmed my diagnosis - trapped air. The patient = underwent another procedure claimed to be successful - bled the system again and = topped off the coolant.

The patient is recovering = nicely from this minor procedure with one problem - the temperature gauge now reads = higher than normal - around 60-70% of the way up - when it was always right in the = middle of the gauge - squarely over the warning light. Also, it seems that I = hear the fan running more often.

My query for the 'list-spezialists' - where = does/should the temperature gauge be 'normally' under routine city driving = conditions - right in the middle or three-quarters of the way up - or is it not = really precise at all? Should this change after getting the coolant changed? I'd appreciate hearing some comments/other experiences = before I go back to the shop.