this brings up another question for me...the owner's manual (85 1.9l) says
regular antifreeze should not be used because it causes corrosion but i
didnt find where it specifies what Should be used instead.  anybody know?

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff Oxroad" <Oxroad@AOL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2004 10:45 PM
Subject: Re: Coolant - Have I screwd up my engine?

> In a message dated 6/3/2004 7:08:23 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
> pokey@VANAGON.ORG writes:
>
>
> > coolant reserve was dry, so I filled it up with straight
> > undilluted coolant. Shortly after the coolant light would not
> > stop blinking despite the fact that the gauge read OK
>
> I think the gauge and cooling light tell you different things. The coolant
> temp may be fine at the gauge sending unit and so the gauge reads OK. But
the
> fluid level being low is one of the things that triggers the blinking
light.
> There's a fluid level sensor in the expansion tank--the bigger tank of the
> two--the one inside the engine bay.
>
> Sounds to me like you have a coolant leak somewhere. This would explain
why
> you were low on coolant. Very possibly, and hopefully it is an external
leak
> and you can find it. Mine has had tiny leaks in the past which were hard
to
> find, but eventually got themselves noticed when the coolant went low
about once a
> month or so. Your cooling hoses etc. are differnt than on my 83.5, but my
> leak sources were usually dried out hose, a pin hole in a hose, or a leak
at a
> junction.
>
> Depending on how much pure coolant you put in--and I'm guessing you didn't
> put much in if you put it in via the overflow tank behind the license
plate--my
> guess is it wouldn't do any damage. But I would flush the system or
otherwise
> rectify the coolant heavy mix for proper cooling-- the recommended 50/50
> coolant/water ratio I believe. Pure coolant will not cool the engine
properly. I
> ALWAYS use distilled water. I recommend distilled water because who wants
all
> them minerals in their cooling system to screw it up? I'm not even sure it
> necessary, but it sure makes me feel better and the coolant always looks
very nice
> when I change it.
>
> (In the Vanagon cooling systems I have seen in junk yards the expansion
tanks
> are full of rust stains, mineral grit, etc. Who knows what's in your tap
> water. I mean it's fine to drink, because we're all gonna die eventually
anyway.
> But your bus could last forever with proper care ;)
>
> Jeff
> 83.5 Westfalia
> LA,CA
>