Date: Wed, 9 Sep 2009 10:12:55 -0700
Reply-To: Steven P Smith <kewsps@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Steven P Smith <kewsps@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: LED Light/Audible Alarm
In-Reply-To: <4fa106fcc63e1120a81ca40cbb9b6397@kc.rr.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=response
Sunshine,
Be careful replacing the coolant level sensor in the expansion bottle. The
after market part can be very weak and can break and leave you stranded.
This happened to me when I was trying to fix my blinking LED. The new sensor
did not solve the problem, and it cracked in two, letting all the coolant
out very quickly. Fortunately I saw the steam rising from the rear vent, and
the trail of coolant on the ground. I was lucky. If you can get a sensor
from the dealership, it is twice the price, but worth it.
Unfortunately, I was unable to find the problem with my blinking coolant
LED, after spending much time checking all the wires, and replacing all the
possible parts,. . . except the coolant temp gauge itself, which I believe
is the actual problem. I ended up disconnecting the LED at the back of the
gauge temporarily , which is a bad solution, but.
According to list members the gauge is repairable, though not easily.
Perhaps an electronics repair person, if they still exist, can replace the
bad resistor, or what ever it is, in the gauge for you.
Check the archive as this has been discussed many times.
There needs to be a reliable fix for this, as sudden loss of coolant, and no
warning LED, can cost an engine.
Steven
--------------------------------------------------
From: "Sunshine" <vwbusgirl@KC.RR.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 2009 5:03 AM
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Subject: Re: LED Light/Audible Alarm
> After pondering everything and making sure there was coolant filled to
> the brim of the expansion tank (which it was), cleaning the coolant
> sensor and checking it's o-ring and snugging it back down with some
> ATV.....
>
> I began thinking that everything seemed to not go well after I had bled
> the coolant this last time and didn't really bleed it as long as I had
> previously from the radiator bleed screw on the front. Then I lost a
> tiny bit when I removed/installed the new thermo/temp switch on the
> radiator (this could have put air in the system as well). But the
> coolant level is certainly NOT LOW and hasn't been and so it might just
> be THAT, air in the coolant system!
>
> So I'm gonna bleed the air one more time to see if this gets it and let
> it flow from the screw in front for a longer period of time and see if
> that gets it. :o)
> I've ordered a new sensor just in case the sensor could be defective.
>
> Thanks everyone, I appreciate it!
> Peace, Love & VW Grease,
> Sunshine (Greasy VW Wrenchin' Woman in Kansas) :o)
> ~~~~~~
> '89 Vanagon GL - Wolfsburg Weekender Edition ("Stella Blue") *Daily
> Driver*
> '87 Vanagon GL ("Parts Van")
> '77 Westfalia Bus ("Sunshine Daydream")
> '74 Transporter Bus ("Buddy")
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> If your coolant light is flashing either the coolant sensor is bad,
> the coolant is low, or there is air in the system.
> Regarding the buzzing, I may be wrong, but I seem to remember that my
> 87 GL would buzz when the coolant was low. But that's been several
> years and so I'm not entirely sure.
>
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