Yes i'love to have one of those Infrared cameras to see what needs
most maintenance, I had preciously proposed on one of my other groups to
have somebody develop a car microphone like spectral analysis of engine
sounds together with a database of failure modes collected by users of a
particular motor, and thereby somehow learn how to pinpoint anything the
motor, and even car, does!

Anyhow i'm looking for a wiring diagram now to fix that fan and I would like
to hook up a light that helps me understand in which situations the fan
would come on...

I have started now to switch to neutral when at a traffic light! I dream of
the days when I have the Vanagon electric and wont be making a sound and
wasting 'nothing' when sitting at a traffic light...

On Sun, Apr 25, 2010 at 12:44 AM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <
scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:

> re
>
> However now that i did a bit longer testdrive I find it still overheats
>
> you meant it runs hotter on the guage than is preferred, right ?
> I define 'overheating' as inablilty to sustain running without boiling
> over, puking out coolant, or consuming coolant and puking out etc. etc.
>
> Short of that I call 'running to warm.'
> If you suspect it's running to warm first thing you do is get ( or grab
> your ) infraread temp gun, shoot the engine and hoses and see what temp it
> is Actually running at.
> 180ish up to 190 is nice.
> 170 is too cool.  160 is very too cool.  200 is undesireablly hot.
> shoot the engine block.
> and both main hoses ..and see how different that are.
>
> main idea is to find out if it's really running to hot.
> if it is ..then you think thermostat, then radiator.
> and that's if there are No external or internal coolant leaks.
>
> also ..one odd failure mode ..that is not thermostat, or tired radiator, or
> a leak, or water pump or thermostat ........
> is exahust gases getting into the coolant the the head/head gasket's.
> What it looks like it hot engine, cold radiator, like the main pipes are
> blocked but they are not, and it's not t-stat , a leak, radiator etc.
> Not that uncommon actually.
> Can happen intermittantly too. Ok sometimes, not others.
> if you ever get mysterious 'unbleeding' ..that's what it likely is.
>
> the normal order to test cooling systems is -
> pressure test for external and internal leaks.
> then thermostat
> then radiator and condition of coolant.
> then consider if water pump is circulating coolant ...very rare that they
> do not.
> test compression or sniff coolant if exahsut leaking is suspect.
>
> radiator fan ...must work if the van sits idleing in warm weather.
> I frequently hear of people thinking that if there van runs too warmly or
> hot at 30 mph and above, and the radiator fan doesn't work..
> that's why it's running too hot.
> Once the van is moving the radiator fan isn't needed of course ....like
> once you get going 30 mph you don't need the rad fan.
> I have occasionally seen a rad fan come on doing downwind and
> uphill....like actual air speed was low ..but a vanagon can drive around
> just fine without a working radiator fan ...so don't get misled there.
> It's good to have it working ...but if it's not working, that's not the
> problem once driving along .
>
> just start by finding out what the real temp is at the engine.
> the infra red temp gun is so useful...
> shoot the exhaust header pipes and see if all cylinders are running about
> the same.
> Get an idea of how good alingment might be by measureing tire temps ...at
> various spots on each tire.  You find one tire significantly hotter than the
> others ...
> same for brakes.
> point is, endlessly useful inexpensiven, non-intrusive tool.  Most peopl
> reading this have one.
> It's silly not to have one if you work on your cars/vans. Find bad wheel
> bearings with it...endless uses. They start at about 30 bucks.
>
> plastic tank radiators in 83 and late vans ..
> all I ever see is that eventually they don't remove heat so well.  That's
> the only failure mode I see in them.  I would guess they only work as poorly
> as 70 % as they once did when there are say 12 plus years old.
>
> I'l remind the Cooling System Gods to look out for you and your van, and do
> right on ya.
> Scott
> www.turbovans.com
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tobias Gogolin" <usertogo@GMAIL.COM>
>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Saturday, April 24, 2010 9:06 PM
>
> Subject: Re: Water Cooler System Design Flaw Workaround?
>
>
>  Yes the sensor was so grimy, after cleaning it the flasing and runaway
>> instrument went away!
>> I also tied the Bong loading for my van and it works great!
>> However now that i did a bit longer testdrive I find it still overheats
>> and
>> finally I notice I used to hear the radiator fan even after parking! I
>> havent heard that fan for weeks and I havent noticed! How should I
>> troubleshout it where are the relais or fuses please!? Thanks!
>>
>> '84 Automatic
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Apr 22, 2010 at 8:29 PM, David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>>  At 11:29 PM 4/22/2010, Tobias Gogolin wrote:
>>>
>>>  >If you have more than about 180k across the pins it will set off the
>>>> low-coolant alarm after a few seconds
>>>> Is that the sensor on the reservoir?
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Yup.  Let me know if you want to know how it works.
>>>
>>> d
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Tobias Gogolin
>> Tel. Movistar (646) 124 32 82
>> Tel. Telcel (646) 160 58 99
>> skype: moontogo
>> messenger: usertogo@hotmail.com
>>
>> Blog: http://zeitgeistensenada.blogspot.com/
>>
>> You develop Sustainable Ranch Technology at
>> http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/SURA-TECH
>> an Open Source Electric Motor/Alternator at
>> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Performance_Axial_Flux
>> and an Open Source Motor Controller at
>> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GoBox
>>
>
>

--
Tobias Gogolin
Tel. Movistar (646) 124 32 82
Tel. Telcel (646) 160 58 99
skype: moontogo
messenger: usertogo@hotmail.com

Blog: http://zeitgeistensenada.blogspot.com/

You develop Sustainable Ranch Technology at
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/SURA-TECH
an Open Source Electric Motor/Alternator at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Performance_Axial_Flux
and an Open Source Motor Controller at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GoBox