Dan,

It sounds like your fan resistor, located behind the left headlight (it's a
green thing with 3 wires), has stopped working.  When it doesn't work, the
fan will not go on until it's time for the high speed (too late). Easy way
to check is to start the engine cold and turn on the AC, if you don't hear
the radiator fan then that's probably the problem.

Hotch
86 Vanagon GL 226K miles
89 Jetta GL
93 Honda Civic LX (with a power steering leak...doh!)
Philly

> Date:    Mon, 25 Aug 2003 11:13:35 -0400
> From:    Eric Zeno <vw4x4@FYI.NET>
> Subject: Re: 91 GL running hot all of the sudden
>
> Also, when she was out on the road she emptied a bottle of water in the
> resevoir, so I need to drain and add more coolant. Is there a bleeder valve
> somewhere?
>
> Forget that.....you have a leak.  No wander its over heating.
> Find the leak.
> Eric
>
>
>
> Dan Haydon wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Just a few days ago my wife tells me that the van has been "running hot", and
>> that she's been driving with the heater on to keep the needle from going too
>> high. So I started it up yesterday and it heated up pretty fast....as it
>> approached the led it moved above it and the fan never turned on. I turned on
>> the AC and the high speed fan kicked in.
>>
>> I'm thinking maybe thermostat or temp senders. Is there a way to check for
>> blockage of coolant flow?
>>
>> Also, when she was out on the road she emptied a bottle of water in the
>> resevoir, so I need to drain and add more coolant. Is there a bleeder valve
>> somewhere?
>>
>> Thanks for any direction on this one guys.
>>
>> Dan Haydon
>>
>>
>>
>>
>

Richard Hotchkiss
http://www.hotstrings-inc.com