Skip to main content
Gerry | Vanagon
Checking account...
← vanagon.com home · Continue the discussion in the forum
VanagonEuroVan
Subject:Overheating danger in snowstorm
From:Graham Challis
Date:Tue, 10 Apr 2001 22:26:29 -0700

Last weekend I had the misfortune to be travelling on
I80 up to Lake Tahoe in a heavy snowstorm in my van.
We had to use the chains, and going over Donner Pass
took about 2 hours at no more than 30mph, mostly at a
crawl or stopped.  After a while I noticed the cooling
fan kick in - strange seeing as it was freezing.
Later on, when traffic stopped, the oil light started
flickering, so I immediately turned it off, got out
and saw that the front bra was a solid sheet of
ice/snow about an inch thick!  I never thought about
the fact that the mesh in the bra would make it much
easier for snow to accumulate (yeah, I know all you
cold climate guys are laughing!).  After taking it
off, everything returned to normal so (hopefully) no
damage done (the heads already leak coolant so it
could've even caused me to fix them!).
Even with no bra though, by the time I got to Truckee
the regular grille openings were starting to get
clogged, so I guess that's something you really have
to watch out for.

Graham (transplanted Brit only used to blinding fog!)
90 GL country homes camper

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail.
http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/

Have something to add on this topic today? Revive this thread in the forum »