You don't have your system all the way full.  Keep filling up that reserve
tank, the cooling system will suck it up until it's full--bleed again when
it stabilizes.  Usually if you have a head gasket problem, it fill the
system up with air which causes the reserve tank level to rise (due to air
from the combustion-compression displacing your coolant).  When your van is
cold, especially, you will feel moisture in the exhaust--the catalytic
converter creates some H2O from exhaust gas.
_____

Donald Baxter  Iowa City, Iowa
(319) 337-0494
www.mindspring.com/~onanov

"Every family should have at least three children. Then, if one is a genius,
the other two can support him."
         -- George Coote.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Drew Bedford" <drew@bomb-proof.com>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2001 10:51 AM
Subject: Missing Coolant

> I'm experiencing dissapearing coolant. Here's the scenario: I fill the
> cooling system, bleed everything I can and close it up. Then I drive
> about ten or fifteen miles, pretty heavy traffic and hills, and the
> blinking red light comes on. The coolant tank has dropped by two-thirds.
> I check the overflow tank, thinking the coolant cap is faulty, but
> nothing there. I've checked all the coolant pipes, head gaskets and
> connections for leaks. There are none visible. The only place I see
> water/coolant is a fine oily mist out the tailpipe. This has happened
> for a while, but is now getting worse. What's up?