On Thu, Apr 5, 2012 at 7:04 AM, Karen Doherty
<freshwindbrightsky@gmail.com>wrote:

> Hi all, I'm new to the list but so happy to find y'all!
>
> I've had my Westy almost a year. Two days ago, in start/stop traffic on the
> highway in 80 degree temp, the temp needle rose and eventually the red
> light came on.
> I took it to the one recommended mechanic in town, who used to own an '87
> Syncro. He seemed less than excited about working on it, and went on about
> how difficult they are to work on and that's why he sold his blah blah blah
> but yeah go ahead and bring it in I'll take a look.
>   {snipped}
> Any thoughts on this would be most welcome and appreciated! Some have
> suggested bubble of air in the system. I have no idea how much this repair
> should cost.
>
> Karen
>

  I would find another mechanic, first off.  It sounds like this fellow, he
is not a guy you want working on your vanagon.  Someone on here will guide
you to a more enthusiastic Vanagon-savvy shop, probably.

  There are a number of possible causes for dropping coolant level and
overheating.  Since you state you aren't mechanical, you should find a
mechanic that needs the work and knows something about Vanagons, but you
don't need one with an attitude like the one you mention.    .A guy like
that, he might just fix it up "Good enough", charge you big bucks and send
you out the door with a half-a** repair that will blow up something half
way to your destination....and if you call him on it, he'll just
say..."See, I told you Vanagons suck, that is why I won't work on em...blah
blah blah.." and you will have an on-going problem with that guy..the
reluctant Vanagon Expert who took your money and didn't do a good
job...Listen to him when he says he's reluctant and sold his own because he
didn't like working on them....
  Don Hanson