The quick and easy way to narrow this down is to pull the "43" relay out
of the main relay panel and see if the flashing stops.

Remove the plastic cover from the fuse panel and look above the fuses
for a small black plastic box with the number 43 printed on the end.
Make note of it's position and pull it straight out. Then tell us what
the overheating light is doing.

Sometimes this relay has a "42" on it since that is the newest type,
interchangeable with the small 43. The early larger 43 behaves
differently and should be replaced with a later improved part. People
with pre 86 models should make sure they have the later type instead of
the one that mostly came in those years.

Mark

Cindy Taykowski wrote:

>Hi,
>My vanagon's overheating light comes on when it starts. And then it stays on. It's not hot. It's not really even warm. The gauge never moves to the over heat area.
>
>It  sat for about 6 weeks when it got really cold then my family wanted to check it out and forgot to shut the door, it happened to be on both batteries and killed them both, I got a new battery and that did the trick. It fires right up.
>
>I thought it was low on antifreeze, so I fixed that and it's still blinking. (and I am not driving it, thank god no one bought the 1990 Toyota wagon.)
>I am trying to sort through the haynes but it sometimes skips over these details.
>cindy
>87 westy
>
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