Skip to main content
Gerry | Vanagon
Checking account...
← vanagon.com home · Continue the discussion in the forum
Subject:Re: one last effort to get the temp control gauge under control
From:David Beierl
Date:Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:15:06 -0500

At 02:02 PM 12/15/2009, Woody Halsey wrote:
>*       The temp gauge pegs over and the red light starts flashing as
>soon as the engine is turned on. Can it be "overheating" if it is not
>even "warmed up?"

No it can't.  What you have is either a bad coolant level controller
or bad connections somewhere between there and the two pins that
stick into the coolant circulating tank.

To make the thing stop so you can find out if you actually have a
cooling problem, drop the fuse/relay panel, reach forward and up and
carefully wiggle out the level controller.  It's tall rather than
cubical and it has 42 painted on it and you should be able to see it
by taking the instrument panel cover off.

Your temp gauge will now start indicating temperature.  When you've
got the cooling issues (if any) sorted, I'll tell you how to diagnose
the coolant-level system -- it's not hard at all.

Yours,
David