At 12:09 PM 9/7/2015, Don Hanson wrote:
>Thank you, I will keep your helpful � 'offer' in mind, David... �
>
>� As I recall, you turn the key to run and that 
>blinky light (coolant level warning in the 
>center of the temp gauge, 84 chassis, who know 
>what dash pod or sender... started 
>blinking....stayed blinking....all day. 
>�  Eventually I will make the time to try again to trace down the problem. �

The question is, when you turn the key on does it 
blink continuously, or does it blink for two or 
three seconds, stop, and a few seconds later 
start blinking again.  If it stops and starts 
again, your gauge and panel voltage regulator are 
ok but a new-style coolant level controller is 
triggering.  If it simply starts and keeps going, 
you need to check the voltage going to fuel and 
temp gauges; but the strong likelihood (which we 
can prove) is that there is a bad capacitor 
inside the gauge, which can be repaired or the gauge replaced.

>� I lose patience and get quite frustrated after 
>a few times digging around under the dash pod, 
>messing with brittle tabs of those switches and 
>wires and foils. �  I am pretty proud of myself 
>every time I take the dash apart when I don't 
>make things worse, and I can still use my van 
>after I am done...Not fixing the 
>problem....well, there IS that, too....but not 
>making it worse...that is something, eh?

Yes, it is.

>�  � The coolant level warning *has* moved up on 
>my "to do" list, but certainly not to the top, yet...
>cheers.. �

Whenever you get there.  I'm simply saying that 
it's not a mysterious system, it has only a few 
failure modes, and we can determine with 
certainty what its problem is and cure it.  If 
your panel has a tach Van Cafe has replacement 
gauges to fit it; if not, repairing the existing gauge may be more practical.

Yrs,
d

>On Mon, Sep 7, 2015 at 7:49 AM, David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net> wrote:
>At 11:51 AM 9/6/2015, Don Hanson wrote:
>�  So I monitor my gauges, though I may make the�  time, after yesterday's
>scary coolant "incident", to give another try at making the Coolant Level
>blinky light on my dash function..
>
>
>The low-coolant system has three components: the 
>overheat warning blinker in the temp gauge, a 
>coolant level controller 191 919 376 or 191 919 
>376A, and a pair of stainless steel pins 
>swimming in the coolant pressure bottle.�  If 
>you have an '85 or older you may have controller 
>251 919 376 which is taller and should be replaced with one of the newer ones.
>
>I can say with assurance that together we can 
>get your low coolant warning system working 
>correctly.�  First thing to do is pull the tape 
>off it, turn the key on (engine off) and 
>describe in detail what the light does in the first fifteen seconds.
>
>Yours,
>David
>