Wade,

If the gauge was only 3/4 up, you most likely didn't cause any damage by
driving it.  Most likely just a coincidence.

Karl Wolz

----- Original Message -----
From: "Wade Shen" <swade@UMIACS.UMD.EDU>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, December 10, 2001 6:22 PM
Subject: The moral of the story is... (Semi-long tale of woe)

> 'Tis the season for fables and parables so here's one that may, hopefully,
> save y'all the thousands in repair costs that I'll now have to pay.
>
> I just bought a new '90 Vanagon GL the other day.  It seemed to be running
> well, and everything seemed to be in great condition - even the mechanic
> that I had check it out commented on how well it had been cared for.
>
> Then the other day, I was returning from the Airport (an 80 mile drive
round
> trip) when the flashing LED came on.  I was about 1/4 mile from home and
it
> was late in the evening, so I just parked the car, figuring that I would
> look into the problem the next day.
>
> The next day, I open the engine compartment and noticed that the coolant
was
> low, so I fill everything and start the engine.  The blinking LED didn't
> come on for a while, but when the thermostat opened, I noticed coolant
> dripping out of the T-connector <-> thermostat housing hose and the LED
> started blinking again.
>
> After shutting off the engine for a couple of hours, I decided to risk
> driving the car to the local mechanic (about 2 miles away, but in city
> traffic).  Nervously watching the temp gauge and the blinking LED, it took
> almost 15 anxious minutes to get to the mechanic.  By this time, the temp
> gauge was almost 3/4 up, steaming coolant out of the broken hose, and a
> blinking LED all the way (however, there was coolant in the system).  I
> thought to myself, "I should have paid to have her towed."
>
> Well, this morning, upon getting her back from the mechanic, she ran well,
> but i noticed a small puddle of green coolant under the right cylinder
> head/engine body interface (God, I hope they forgot to tighten the drain
> bolt), and the coolant reservoir was down 1/2 from Max.  I'm pretty sure
it
> was doing this before...
>
> So it turns out a small risk may turn into a $1300 head gasket job.  I
guess
> I should be glad I didn't melt the entire engine.
>
> wade
>