As I wrote Ian separately yesterday, Ken Wilford advised me simply to
top off the expansion reservoir with coolant to ensure that the probe
was always covered with coolant. It worked. No more blinking. No more
gauge pegging over pretending that the engine is overheating 30 seconds
after firing up.

Woody
83.5 V'gon
Haverhill, MA
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of Edward Maglott
Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2006 11:05 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: blinking temp gauge

I hear that the uncontrollable blinking is often caused by a failed
capacitor in the gauge itself.  Sounds like you checked everything else.
Edward

At 04:50 PM 8/31/2006, Ian Steele wrote:
>New to the list with one incentive being a tech problem thats got me
>baffled; hopefully, someone can help.  Here goes:
>
>1983 Vanagon, runs great but----  the little light in the temp gauge
>flashes continually.  So far turned off and done each of the following
>and then started again:
>
>1)  I've checked the coolant level switch in the fluid reservoir by
>taking plug off and, after first confirming that ground side indeed
went
>to ground, shorted the plug across the two terminals to bypass switch -
>result, light still blinks.
>
>2)  Temperature sensor seems to work properly as gauge temperature goes
>from cold to mid-scale as engine warms.
>
>3)  Replaced coolant level relay (plug-in unit above ground star which
>is in turn above fuse panel.  No change, still blinking.
>
>4)  There is not much left in the circuit except for the temperature
>gauge assembly itself.  Not sure how to get at this easily, so hope
I've
>missed something easier.  Does all this sound familiar to anyone?
>Comments welcome, especially how to rule out the gauge itself.  Also is
>there any electronics in the gauge or does the blink originate in the
>coolant level relay?  The diagrams in the green book are not very
>specific at this level.
>
>Thanks in advance,
>
>
>--
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------
----
>    Ian M. Steele                              Geophysics: 773-702-8109
>    Department of the Geophysical Sciences     Chemistry:  773-834-5861
>    The University of Chicago                  FAX:  773-702-9505
>    5734 S. Ellis Ave.                         Home: 219-873-1159
>    Chicago, IL  60637                         Cell: 773-330-4302
>
>    e-mail: steele@geosci.uchicago.edu    or   iansteele@comcast.net
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----