75% chance your thermostat is stuck shut.  Start with the simple things.

>From: John Goubeaux <john@UCSB.EDU>
>Reply-To: John Goubeaux <john@UCSB.EDU>
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Re: 90 cooling problem
>Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2007 21:44:07 -0700
>
>Well, I can reproduce the problem and see that after the car runs at
>idle and slightly higher rpms for 4-5 minutes the cooling system
>appears to pressurize, and along with the flashing red light and gauge
>going to the top I can see coolant starting to trickle out from the
>under the sensor where it goes into the reservoir.  the temperature is
>definitely rising and the reservoir is pressurizing and spilling over
>into the overflow tank.
>
>If it was a head gasket wouldn't I see some other symptoms ?  such as
>vapor from the tail pipe ?
>
>-john
>
>neil wrote:
>>a failed (closed) thermostat?
>>
>>
>>
>>On 7/20/07, John Goubeaux <john@ucsb.edu> wrote:
>>>I have a situation where my 90 vanagon, after running for a few miles
>>>began to exhibit "cooling system problems":
>>>The temp needle went to the top and the red light began to flash. I
>>>drove a little while longer and idled downhill home.
>>>Coolant was leaking out of the (it looks like top of )  pressurized
>>>coolant reservoir and as well as being under what looks like higher
>>>pressure than normal. The car did not appear to be overheating. After I
>>>stopped the engine I could hear pressure noises (what sounded like fluid
>>>shifting around as the engine cooled off)
>>>
>>>Does this point definitively to a head gasket leak? If not what are the
>>>other possibilities?  My coolant reservoir  had signs of leakage around
>>>the top where the sensor fits into it prior to this and this was pointed
>>>out to me by a mechanic.
>>>
>>>Thanks !  -john
>>>
>>
>>
>>--
>>Neil Nicholson. 1981 Air Cooled Westfalia.
>>
>>http://web.mac.com/tubaneil

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