Hi Volks,

I'm new to this list and to water-cooled Vanagons. I had an '80
air-cooled for many many years
and miles, but my mechanic convinced me that heat was a desirable
feature so I got an '84
Westy. I have heard ALOT of horror stories about troubles with the
water-cooled and I'm still
feeling a little apprehensive about this newer Westy. I have recently
learned that using the correct
anti-freeze (phosphate free) is crucial. This I learned after topping
off coolant with non-phosphate
free anti-freeze. YIKES!!!

I guess my question(s) here is (1) how worried should I be about any
damage I may have done?
and (2) What about phosphate and silicate free anti-freeze? Saw some of
this at the auto parts
store and was curious if this was necessary.

I'm planning on draining system ASAP and refilling with "the best" as I
believe this to be a
paramount to trouble free water-cooled travels. Also, is this a job that
a rookie wrencher like
myself should try and tackle or is this job best left to the
professional? Any recommendations and
shared experiences greatly welcomed.

Peace - donna
'84 Westy (Pepe)
'80 Westy (Pokey)

ps : Oh yeh, is it normal for the coolant level in these Waterboxers to
fluctuate. Like one time I look and it is full, then later it looks
lower, then again later it's high again (all checks done cool). I keep
looking for wet spots or puddles and I can't find any. ???? Any ideas of
what's happening here?