I will have to agree with Frank.  I have a separate water temp gauge
with the sender mounted in the skinny hose that comes off the #4
cylinder outlet and the numeric  coolant temp does not always match
what the needle on the factory dash gauge says.  I have noticed, that
being right on the red light, the temp is about 200F.  I wish I could
find out a way to get the temp sender in the Temp2 sender hole for my
Haltech ECU, but that project will take some more gray matter.  Once
the motor has warmed up, any discrepancies usually go away.

DM&FS

At 07:02 AM 8/17/2008, Frank Condelli wrote:
>In a message dated 16/08/2008 12:26:59 P.M. Central Standard Time,
>LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:
>
>         The gauge in the Vanagon is  not accurate enough to come up with a
>determination of the "exact" temperature  for each point on the gauge.  I have
>measured the temperature at the  thermostat housing of many Vanagons
>and if all
>is normal that reading is always  stable but the needle on the gauge is
>rarely in the same position.   What I suggest is that you find out
>where your gauge
>is reading when your  engine is running at it's normal temperature and call
>that the correct running  point for YOUR Van.
>
>
>
>
> >>>>>>>Has anyone ever determined what the coolant  temperatures are at those
>point=
>s of the  gauge?<<<<<<<<<
>
>
>
>
>
>Cheers,
>
>Frank  Condelli
>Almonte, Ontario, Canada
>'87 Westy & Lionel Trains (_Collection for sale_
>(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/trainsal.htm) )
>_Frank Condelli &  Associates_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html)
>- Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in the Ottawa Valley
>_Vanagon Stainless Steel Exhaust  Systems_
>(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/exhaust.htm)
>_BusFusion_ (http://members.aol.com/BusFusion/bfhome.htm)  a VW Camper
>camping event, Almonte, ON, June 12 ~ 15,  2008