Thanks to everyone who has replied and offered their advice!

I am going to try basically everything starting with the cheapest ideas first. 

Viva le van!

Mike

> On Jul 18, 2015, at 9:35 PM, Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> One thing that should be checked is the connector going into the tank level
> sensor. If the connection isn't good, the light will blink and it SEEMS
> (can't prove this and don't know enough about the circuit to say whether it
> is true, unlikely or impossible) that this bad connection is also
> accompanied by a slight rise in indicated temperature by the needle. Bend
> the tabs to make better contact, use a file or sandpaper if you have such,
> and disconnect ad reconnect a bunch of times to clear away oxidation and
> dirt.
> 
> Jim
> 
>> On Sat, Jul 18, 2015 at 4:59 PM Larry Alofs <lalofs@gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Neil and Stuart brought up a point that I intended to mention.  You can't
>> just drive around without a working radiator fan.   BTDT and learned the
>> hard way.  It turns around and bites you at the most critical time.
>> 
>> Fuses should be checked of course, but I feel that the most "usual suspect"
>> is the big power resistor that is mounted behind your driver's side
>> headlight.  The "air conditioning" section of the Bentley is relevant here
>> even tho your AC is not hooked up.  In my big book page 97.141 shows the
>> circuitry for the '88.  Extract the device from the van and test it with an
>> ohmmeter.  If any of the three terminals fails to show continuity to the
>> other two, it is defective.  With soldering skill and determination these
>> can be patched up, but the repair will probably not last.  The usual
>> vendors sell the coresponding part for the Eurovan and the connector can be
>> spliced on from your old resistor.  In the past few years I have found this
>> problem on three of my late model vanagons with AC.
>> 
>> Have fun,
>> Larry A.
>> 
>> 
>> On Sat, Jul 18, 2015 at 12:47 PM, Michael <mikewelldon@icloud.com> wrote:
>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Overheating issue/88 Westy auto with 2.2 Subaru
>>>> and non-connected factory A/C
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> What is happening:
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> I've been driving the van now for about 1,000 miles after having a new
>>> cooling hose put on at the thermo housing. The van has not overheat on
>>> numerous trips since then, both country driving and city driving.
>>>> At the end of a 90 mile journey (getting ready to get on a ferry to an
>>> island), just as I was shutting the van off the red light started.We were
>>> parked on a steep hill with the nose facing downward.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Got off the ferry and onto this island (no more ferries tonight) and
>>> upon about 10 minutes of driving the red light is back and the needle is
>>> slightly above the warning light. Stopped the van and have begun checking
>>> things out. This is what I've thought of so far:
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> What is known:
>>>> 1. No leaks that I can find. Checked hose connections, checked rear
>>> heater core, checked the ground.
>>>> 2. No radiator fan. The van has gone 1,000 miles since the fan died and
>>> the temperature needle has stayed at the top of the warning light on the
>>> dash.
>>>> 3. Temperature gauge. The first 800 or so miles the needle would stay
>> at
>>> the top of the warning light and not move. The past week the needle has
>>> started to "shift." When going at a higher rate of speed or downhill the
>>> needle will actually lower to halfway on the warning light, and sometimes
>>> below it. Great!   Until now, now the needle is slightly above the
>> coolant
>>> warning light and the light flashes its angry warning to me.
>>>> 
>>>> 4. Coolant levels. The coolant level in the tank is at the min, which
>> is
>>> lower than I remember it being a week ago. The expansion tank is about a
>>> half inch above max.  Question:  Can i open the coolant tank and move
>>> coolant from the expansion tank to the coolant tank without having to
>> burp
>>> the system?
>>>> 
>>>> 5. Upon starting the van, didn't see any coolant move from tank or
>>> overflow tank. I'm quite new at vanagon cooling systems (and cooling
>>> systems in general) so my guess is that it's just not circulating yet and
>>> would eventually once the engine heated up.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> So, my hope is that the van has magically fixed itself overnight and
>>> when I start it again the blinking red light will stay off.  If, however,
>>> the van is not self-repairing, does anyone have any ideas?
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> I really don't think it's the radiator fan for the simple fact that
>> I've
>>> done a bunch of travelling in all sorts of warm weather, stop and go
>>> traffic and circumstances where if the fan was the culprit, the van would
>>> have all ready overheated.  My thought is that the thermo may not be
>>> opening all the way or there is a blockage somewhere in the system.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> If anyone has any good ideas or questions or directional advice on
>> where
>>> to start, that'd be great.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Viva le vanagon!
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Mike
>>