Chris,
  Can you use a meter to check the resistance of the temperature sensor
when the engine is cold and hot?
I believe the Bentley has a graph of the correct values.
  Are you really sure that the engine is overheating?

Larry A.

JordanVw@AOL.COM wrote:

>ok, well i swapped my whole instrument cluster.  and the needle still reads
>over the red dot. sooo...its not the gauge in the dash.
>
>i started the van, let idle for like 15 mins..   main coolant tank and lines
>out of tank were hot.   but hoses at front "firewall" were not hot.   hoses
>coming out of bottom of rad were not hot.
>
>heater blows hot air.   running the heater didnt seem to have any effect on
>the temperature gauge..
>
>
>my guess is thermostat...?
>
>chris
>
>
>