Run a compression check! Most likely you'll find one low.

Been there, done that.
Joe
84 vanagon 1.9 (new head gaskets)
93 Eurovan MV
99.5 hetta tdi

----- Original Message -----
From: "Blake Heinlein" <blakeheinlein@HOTMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 5:01 PM
Subject: Help! - Coolant spilling on long drives

> Hello Vanagoners!
>
> I need some help.  I believe that I have a leaky head gasket but I want to
> get a confirmation about what I think is happening.  Here is what's
> happening:
>
> Around town and 1/2 hour drives the van runs great.  Heater works and it
> never drips a drop of coolant.  The Van runs right at or slightly below
the
> red warning light.
>
> Yesterday I drove almost 400 miles in one day.  (To much driving)
Traveling
> at about 70 to 80 mph the entire time.  With two stops inbetween
everything
> seemed fine.  (Now that I recall at one stop there was a faint smell of
> antifreeze but I couldn't find anything coming off my van.)  When I pulled
> off the freeway right by my house, and slowed the van down, the light
> started flashing and the needle pegged.  I pulled over and the expansion
> tank was low on water.  The reserve tank was full and the water had all
> dumped out somewere on my trip.
>
> So I release the air in the expansion tank and then topped off the empty.
> I'm bleeding the system right now.
>
> To me all this sounds like air is getting into the system some how.  Here
> are the specs on my van.
>
> -84 Vanagon
> -2.1 L rebuilt engine with 25,000 mi
> -all new coolant system.  (think everything that the water touches,
> everything)
> -running low temp thermostat and radiator fan switch
>
> Well, As you can expect I'm a little frustrated but that's life with a
> vanagon.  I'm going to have the expansion tank cap pressure tested (even
> though it's new) and if it's ok I'm going to talk to the shop that built
the
> engine.
>
> Any advice or experiences would be appreciated.  Do you guys think that
this
> is a head leak problem?  If so what are the best fixes?  If not what else
> could it be?
>
> Loyal Vanagon Lover!  (If I hadn't spent so much money on it I would sell
> it)
>
> Thanks,
> Blake  (I have a neet website)"plug" "plug"  :)
>
> -------------------------
> Blake Heinlein
> blakeheinlein@hotmail.com
> http://members.accessbee.com/heinlein/  (Has vanagon stuff)
> -------------------------
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com
>