Not only have I never heard of this ... my '85, with the airconditioning
running, has idled for long periods without overheating.

My '84 went for 12 years with a bad thermo switch (radiator fan wouldn't
turn on) and in heavy traffic on really hot days, the temp would creep
upward unless I used my foot on the accelerator to increase the RPM ...
therefore the coolant flow.  I've since replaced the switch and all is
normal again.

Mike

Robert Cardo wrote:
> I have a friend who has a 85 GL, and is having heating up problems in
> slow / in town traffic.
>
> I told him first to check the thermostat and put the palm of his hand
> over the front of the radiator to see if it has any cold spots.
>
> I think he's having plugged radiator syndrome.
>
> At highway speed it cools fine.
>
> Now here's the punch line.
>
> His mechanic told him that Vanagon's have an inherant cooling fluid
> movement problem, and he is going to add an electric auxillary water
> pump  in line         ( somewhere ) in the coolant tubes to move the H2O
> more efficiantly to the radiator.
>
> And for the paultry sum of 500 big one's.
>
> I told him to get in the Van, turn the key, and get it the heck outa
> there.
>
> I now there is a bunch of stuff I haven't seen or heard of in this life.
> But this seems really too wild even for me.
>
> Anybody heard / seen of anything so crazy?
>
> RC
>