If coolant disappears, and you are sure it's not leaking externally
somewhere ...
then it's using it internally ...
i.e. it's going out the tail pipe.

ways to get tripped up ....
a very small external leak onto a hot surface may never show ( though you
should be able to smell it sometimes. )
possible to have a slightly leaking rear or front heater core ....coolant
can disappear that way...and not be readily apparent as an external leak.

smell the exhaust ...see if it smells like coolant.

I hope you have changed that blue VW coolant about 5 times ..
well, if it's since 1985 .......what is that ? ....24 years.
I hope you changed the coolant 12 times in that period.

the blue is not 'better' really.
what works is a 'good anti-frz' and a cup or so of  water soluble oil (
machinist's cutting oil ) as a water pump lubricant and rust inhibitor at
50/50 mix water/a-frz.   Conventional green works super fine, used this way,
and changed every two years. It's not the exact anti-frz that matters so
much ..
it's have a good coolant mixture and not leaving it in there for years at a
time.
that flat works - the water soluble oil thing.  Just a
little.............cup or so for the whole van.

If the heads have not been off since 1985, I would be extremely nervous
about that ..
the corrosion .......on the head nuts, on the heads.

Scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Alfred Bagdan" <abagdan@SHAW.CA>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, August 21, 2011 4:29 PM
Subject: Re: antifreeze leak?

> Hi all,
>
> I have an 85 Westy, no visible leaks externally. I leak tested it with 14
> PSI no external leaks, but after a couple hours the gauge shows a small
> drop
> in pressure.  After some driving (~200 km) the level in the antifreeze
> container(not the overflow container) is down a wee bit, and the gauge
> light
> blinks at startup for quite a while.  I have always used the blue VW
> antifreeze since 1985.  The mileage is 190000 km (~120000 miles).
> Does anyone know where the antifreeze is going?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Alfred
> 85 Westy