Won't the same thing happen if there is a small amount of air getting in the
system from a loose (to air not glycol) hose connection and/or the system
has not been completely bled?

John Lauterbach
Macon, GA
'84 7-passenger

----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe Romas" <jromas@COLUMBUS.RR.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 5:39 PM
Subject: Re: Help! - Coolant spilling on long drives

> 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)
> > -------------------------
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
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> >
>