but is the light redundant?  In most vehicles, the temperature idiot
light means one thing -- hot.  In a vanagon, it means one of two things,
depending on the position of the temp needle.  If the first thing is the
problem (low coolant level), the second thing (actual hot temperature),
where there is redundancy may be averted.  So rather than being
redundant, it is a valuable safety check.

Dave Mc

On Sun, Sep 6, 2009 at 9:32 AM , Don Hanson wrote:

> I put a nice neat circle of black electrical tape inside my clock,
> where
> that blinking POS lives.  You can't even tell the thing is
> there...probably
> still blinking and blinking and blinking even though the coolant level
> is
> fine.
>   Being an ol aircooled van and beetle driver, I always always check
> the oil
> in my Vanagon and when I do I also check the coolant level in the
> expansion
> tank...it's right there next to the dipstick.  Also, I monitor the
> instrument panel while driving.
>    I suppose I could or should fix that light properly, but that tape
> is so
> elegant in it's direct approach...and it works just fine for stopping
> that
> irritating flashing that IMO is redundant anyhow.
>   Don Hanson
>
>
> On Sun, Sep 6, 2009 at 7:14 AM, Tom Stone  wrote:
>
>> "I solved it by taking apart the instrument cluster housing and
>> swapping out the temp unit for a good one. That fixed the problem."
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> I have the same problem.  Having ignored the blinking light once in
>> my
>> early Vanagon history, and having a catastrophic head gasket failure
>> ensue,
>> I really want to make sure the system is working properly.  Thanks
>> for the
>> information.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Tom
>>
>> Ohio
>>