At 09:19 AM 4/25/2004 -0600, Andrew Fox wrote:
>The temp gauge in the vanagon is crap,

Oh come now, it's about equal to any other automotive temp gauge, with the
same virtues and failings.  Like all of them it won't respond properly
unless it's immersed in coolant which of course is a big disadvantage if
you have a LOCA.  And it won't tell you much about air pockets, but neither
will the others.  Beyond that the electronics for the low-coolant blinker
are a bit sensitive and probably could have been done better.  But the
other ten or so vehicles I've owned didn't have one at all...

>  get, borrrow, or pay someont to
>take your vanagons temperature with a thermal IR sensor

That's a good idea in general -- however I'm fairly sure the gauge in this
case is telling the truth.  The cut-in point for the fan is about right,
and the behavior with the heater is highly suggestive.

>  to find out if its
>really running hot and help diagnose the problem before replacing
>anything!
>
>Vanagons have the worst electrical systems i have ever seen in a vehicle,
>very very prone to failure, very poor engineering, germans can be idiots
>too!

Ah, a Toyota man?  You've surely never owned...oh, say a Sunbeam (or MG,
same difference) or Saab.  My Sunbeam was highly advanced -- the electrics
were fused* -- two fuses actually but one was put in by a former owner I think.

*British-speakers feel free to enjoy the pun...

david