Since you are a relative newcomer to watercooled Vanagons it is
understandable that you would not fully appreciate the flashing led as a
beneficial warning device. My close family has put more miles than you
on at least 10 different Vanagons. I have probably done 500,000 miles
myself. There have been numerous cases where the flashing led got the
attention of the driver and likely saved the engine. Sometimes the
flashing was for low coolant and other times for high temps. If you
always drive on boring roads where there is nothing to do but scan a
bunch of gauges that is fine. Flying small planes is like that a lot of
the time, no constant stream of blind curves and crazy oncoming passers,
no wild animals to dart out in front of you, no drunks weaving up on you
from behind at night, etc. We like to take our vans far and wide on
sometimes challenging roads where at times you must keep focused on the
roads and your surrounding if you plan to get through unscathed. Having
a red light suddenly flashing in your face is far better than having to
rely on looking away from the dangers around you to scan a bunch of
idiotic gauges. YMMV.

Mark

Don Hanson wrote:
>
>
>    I watch my gauges.  I hated that flashing red LED in there all the
> time...and it's now been blocked off for about 60k miles of hard driving.
> I watch my coolant temp and I watch my oil temp.  I check my oil and my
> coolant level at ever fill up at the gas station.  I am sure I could
> eventually make that LED blinker behave properly (vanagon proper) if I
> wanted to keep at it.  Maybe I will, someday.
>    Don Hanson
>