The temp gauge is not an absolute, nor is one gauge critically comparable to
another.  All that said, it sounds like yours is reading real close to the
way mine does, but different from the way some of my others have.

Bottom line - sounds normal to me.

Karl Wolz

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeremy Speer" <jspeer@POBOX.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2002 6:02 PM
Subject: Temperature Testing

> Folks,
>
> So, i went and bought one of those IR thermometers. It is the coolest toy
> EVER. Hey, i'm easily amused, what can i say.
>
> When i got home from work i started the van and let it idle. I began
taking
> readings all over the engine compartment. The various hoses quickly
climbed
> to about 180F, but it took almost a half hour at idle and slight revs
before
> the radiator reached the same temp as the engine hoses.
>
> The overall average is about 185F. Some spots go as high as 201F, others
as
> low as 175F.
>
> For the FIRST TIME my radiator fan did indeed come on when the front
> radiator temp at the upper right corner hit about 190F. It QUICKLY dropped
> to 175F and the fan shut off. Seriously, the fan maybe ran one minute.
>
> All the while the temp gauge hovered fully above the LED. When i drive the
> van on the highway the needle sits right over the LED. So, from all this,
> I'm guessing the gauge reads a bit on the high side.
>
> I kept taking readings all around the engine. The crossover pipe and the
> water pump were always the hot spots at about 190 to 201(pump). The return
> from the radiator was (duh!) the cool spot at about 175F.
>
> So, any Minneapolis folks want to swing by and take some engine temp
> readings, just PMail me and we'll set a time over some weekend.
>
> -jspeer
>
> '89 Westy, "Mystery Machine"
>