At 14:34 10/21/2000, Jim Henry wrote:
>Darrel,
>
>Welcome to an unfortunately non-exclusive club. I have been chasing this
>gremlin for over 6 months now, have made some progress and recommend reading
>everything in the archives. I am pretty sure that is is a symptom that does
>not have a single definitive cause.
>
>I have not completely fixed the problem, but seem to have made progress, I can
>now get it to turn off  by not starting my van until after the test cycle time
>is up??? Very strange, I know, but here is what I have done, so far.

Marshall Ruskin observed this earlier -- turning the key off then on often
stops the blinking.  This of course points to the gauge itself as a likely
culprit.  I have two gauges sitting right here that have been on the shelf
for say a year.  Applying 10v to each from the bottom right (facing gauge
back) terminal to the small ground terminal, one of them flashed for six
seconds then went out.  The other flashed indefinitely until I blew some
"canned air" into it, then went out.  Now both go out after six
seconds.  One of these gauges was in my '84, and would always flash for
long periods in humid weather, unless I did the Ruskin trick...

david
David Beierl - Providence, RI
  http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"