Volks,

I am the original poster on yesterday's thread..."Audible" Idiot Lights.� Still plenty of room for discussions and solutions there.

But, I've been thinking.� What is the main cause of Vanagon catastrophic failures?� Rubber.

Your alternator/water pump belt is rubber...it snaps, you may be toast.� Your coolant lines are mostly rubber...if they rupture...you're in for it.� Your fuel injection hoses are all rubber...well, we know what that means.� And tires....they blow out, yes they do!� All rubber.� Anyone want to talk about gaskets?...more rubber.� Vacuum hoses in the engine compartment?: rubber, and they can cause infinite frustration and poor performance if leaky, along with that rubber thing to the air filter.� Power steering and suspension and wiper blades and shock absorbers...more rubber things to fail.

Now, rubber is an excellent engineering material...solves SO many issues.� But, at a price...lifetime.� The stuff just doesn't last forever.

The logical solution:� replace.� And replace sooner than you think you might need to.� Nothing like a roadside breakdown in the middle of nowhere to make you wish you had replaced "that" rubber component.� So easy in the garage with access to Van Cafe, Vanagain, BusDepot, GoWesty, FLAPS...and so on (not meaning to exclude anybody here).� So EXPENSIVE and trip-ruining to do it on the road.� Not to mention major damage to your engine, your vehicle, or even your body!

So...I've personally had:� leaking fuel injector hoses, broken belts, rear tire blowout...next on the list is rubber coolant hoses; still have MOST of the original there (mechanics have noticed some swollen coolant hoses which were immediately replaced).� And head gaskets....ugh...time for a new peppy engine when that one hits.

I know I'm "preaching to the choir" on this one.....but still.� Rubber is going to be the downfall of these marvelous Vanagon machines.

Rich
85 Vanagon Homemade Camper Conversion with 180,000 wonderful miles
San Diego