When we made that 1800 mile trip through the smoky haze of a big fore year
and 106 degree temperatures, I had just had the van puke about a quart and a
half of coolant a week previously, so I was on edge the whole time.

If I'd known about the later fan switch with the lower opening temperature
I would have installed one. Instead I put a bottle of  Ceramiseal  in the
coolant and drove off with my wife and younger son in the van.

It has not leaked a drop since, but the long climbs through  Idaho and
Wyoming had me worried all the time...

Not any more!  ;)

Seeya, Jake

On Tue, Jul 27, 2010 at 6:31 PM, Thomas Buese <tombuese@comcast.net> wrote:

>
> On Jul 27, 2010, at 6:48 PM, Jake de Villiers wrote:
>
> I ALWAYS look cool Tom.  ;)
>
> Sounds like your thermostat needs to be replaced.  The needle is supposed
> to live on the LED when the engine is at operating temperature.
>
>
> Actually that's where it usually resides-  I was picturing my coolant temp
> gauge today & it was lower so that's what I flashed on-unfortunately for
>  accuracy's sake I was driving the A6 & not the vanagon, so my bad!
>
> A short term memory is a terrible thing to lose?
>
> YMMV,
>
> Mr. BZ-same story different car/gauge
>
>
> Jake
>
> On Tue, Jul 27, 2010 at 3:00 PM, Tom Buese <tombuese@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>>
>> On Jul 27, 2010, at 3:39 PM, Jake de Villiers wrote:
>>
>>  I managed to lower the temperature of my 1.9 WBX when driving in 100+
>>> temps
>>> by making cardboard deflectors for the D pillar air intakes and propping
>>> the
>>> license plate door open.
>>>
>>> These steps moved the needle about an eighth of an inch lower and helped
>>> me
>>> relax a little during a long, hot and arduous trip.  ;)
>>>
>>> I think the open license plate door was more of a factor in that will
>>> extract hot air from the engine bay into the low pressure area behind the
>>> van.
>>>
>>> YMMV
>>>
>>> Jake
>>>
>>>
>> LOL!- I bet you & your vanagon look really COOL w/ that mod, Jake!
>> What is wrong w/ your cooling system?  I have the same engine & drive in
>> those conditions all Summer w/o the coolant temp-o-meter going above 1/3+-,
>> unless I am going very slowly in heavy traffixc or up a steep grade, then it
>> might go above 1/2 until I speed up, & then it's back to 1/3.
>>
>> YMMV,
>>
>> Mr. BZ-no mods to be cool needed
>>
>>
>>
>>>
>>> On Tue, Jul 27, 2010 at 11:44 AM, neil n <musomuso@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>  Hi all.
>>>>
>>>> My '81 was air cooled. There's a cold air outlet on frame in engine
>>>> bay. The tub on my engine lid may be holding excessive amounts of heat
>>>> on hot days. Pic: http://tinyurl.com/23sdnyc I know nothing of air
>>>> flow, etc. stuff so....
>>>>
>>>> Theory: install ducting on cold air outlet to direct cooler air into
>>>> tubbed portion of my engine lid.
>>>>
>>>> I bet there's lot's of air whooshing around in the engine bay at
>>>> highway speeds. Would that whooshing air interfere with the air coming
>>>> out that new short piece of duct?
>>>>
>>>> Can anyone guesstimate if this would actually help cool that area? I
>>>> can provide pics if need be.
>>>>
>>>> I will also install cardboard at air cleaner in driver side area
>>>> behind tail light. Archives suggest that the WBX uses a cardboard
>>>> piece to help intake pull in cooler air and not hotter air from engine
>>>> bay.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks!
>>>>
>>>> Neil.
>>>>
>>>> Why I'm curious about air flow:
>>>>
>>>> This pic gives rough idea of what resides in tubbed portion:
>>>> http://tinyurl.com/25859ye  Coolant sensor at front of head in a
>>>> cutout at firewall.
>>>>
>>>> In hot weather, engine consistently:
>>>>
>>>> - throws coolant sensor error code: 'Intermittent short to ground'.
>>>> - turns MIL (check engine) light on at highway speeds
>>>> - hunts at idle when shut down for 10 or so minutes, then restarted.
>>>>
>>>> Changed coolant sensor, no difference.
>>>>
>>>> Theory: excessive heat in tubbed portion of lid causes coolant sensor
>>>> to get too hot. Resistor in it then zeros out allowing near or full
>>>> electrical flow. i.e. recently, on a flat section of highway, 100F
>>>> ambient, MIL stayed on at ~ 60 MPH. I propped the license plate door
>>>> open hoping to get better air flow at tubbed portion of lid. The light
>>>> then stayed off.
>>>>
>>>> A3 Bentley mentions that if MIL light comes on while driving, certain
>>>> "serious conditions" such as an overheated CAT may cause this. This
>>>> led me to the "excessive amounts of heat" theory.
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"
>>>>
>>>> http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Jake
>>>
>>> 1984 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX 'The Grey Van'
>>> 1986 Westy Weekender/2.5 SOHC Suby 'Dixie'
>>>
>>> Crescent Beach, BC
>>>
>>> www.thebassspa.com
>>> www.crescentbeachguitar.com
>>> http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Jake
>
> 1984 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX 'The Grey Van'
> 1986 Westy Weekender/2.5 SOHC Suby 'Dixie'
>
> Crescent Beach, BC
>
> www.thebassspa.com
> www.crescentbeachguitar.com
> http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27
>
>
>

--
Jake

1984 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX 'The Grey Van'
1986 Westy Weekender/2.5 SOHC Suby 'Dixie'

Crescent Beach, BC

www.thebassspa.com
www.crescentbeachguitar.com
http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27