At 10:08 AM 9/24/2001, Royston, Jerry wrote:
>yesterday started up the engine and the red temperature light started
>blinking immediately.  Never had any overheating problems in the 5 months
>since I bought the van.  Is this merely a short somewhere?  Is it still safe
>to drive the van if the temperature guage stays in the normal zone?  Is this
>something I need to fix before a long trip?  Thanks for any help.

1) Is the expansion tank (invisible until you open the engine cover)
full?  If it's half-empty, then the light is correctly warning you of a
low-coolant situation.

2) If you unplug the connector to the level probe in the expansion tank and
jumper across it, then turn the ignition on, does the light still blink
(after the few initial seconds that it's supposed to)?

2a) From 2, if yes then you have an open wire, or bad detector module, or
bad gauge.  Unplug the module (on fuse/relay panel, has #43 on it in big
white letters and turn on ignition  -- does it continue to blink?

2a1)  From 2a, if yes, bad gauge.  You can swap it out or repair it by
replacing the internal electrolytic cap.  This is a big nuisance but
possible -- you have to drill out the rivets holding on the face, then
de-solder the internal board so you can get to the cap, replace it,
reassemble, replace the face.

2a2) From 2a, if no, bad module or open wire.  Ground pin 5 of connector K
on back of relay panel -- should be Blue/Green wire.  Retest.  If still
flashing, bad module, if not, bad wire.

2b) From 2, if no, then you have a dirty or corroded probe or connector, or
coolant concentration wildly out of spec.

david

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