I'm not sure of Greg's age, but if he's under 30,or of the generation who's first toy was a computer, he might have expected a computer voice to come on saying "Low coolant, low coolant!"  Maybe in the future emergency warnings might feature a hologram of a mechanic in overalls on the dash, pleading with you to pull over.

 How about a automatic shutdown system like those found on portable generators?  Problem with that is is might shut the engine off while you are passing a semi.

  Or, even better: How about three warning lights, like for the Westfalia water tank, green, yellow and red?
 Green-all fine. Yellow- you should act now because you don't have much time left- and red- Sorry- your engine is toast! 

Robert
 1982 Westfalia

--- On Wed, 12/16/09, David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET> wrote:

> From: David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
> Subject: Re: Telemetry (was Re: Coolant pressure test... video.)
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Date: Wednesday, December 16, 2009, 9:43 AM
> At 10:08 AM 12/16/2009, Greg Potts
> wrote:
> >At the core of all this though, there is a problem I am
> wondering how to
> >solve... The telemetry that VW designed to monitor
> conditions in our
> >engines is TERRIBLE!!! And as it ages it is not getting
> better.
> >
> >This past week I developed a small leak in a coolant
> hose. The hose in
> >question was the one that feeds water from the pump
> into the thermostat
> >housing. The only warning I had was when the low
> coolant light started
> >flashing. The engine temps came up a little, but not a
> lot. I pulled over,
> >checked the coolant level and it was low. I could not
> see a leak because
> >the coolant level had already dropped below the
> thermostat hose, and I had
> >stopped the engine.
> 
> Dear Greg,
> 
> I'm not sure what you're asking for.� You had a leak
> and the leak
> detector told you so.� At that point it was on you to
> determine if it
> was a neglected slow leak that would let you drive a few
> more miles,
> or an active leak that meant the van had to stop right
> there while
> you took a hike for water.
> 
> Yours,
> David
>