Hi Scott,

Fantastic!  Thanks for the quick response.

I appreciate all your input on the list!  I read the list faithfully and
try to mentally file away anything that might be useful.

I'm thinking it might be prudent to just do a complete coolant hose
replacement.  It's been on my "todo" list since coolant failures are so
catastropic to engines, but sadly, there are only 24 hours in the day &
I can't get everything done.

Cheers,
Steve W.

On 03/07/2016 11:15 PM, Scott - IMAP wrote:
> that's fine ..you run 'forever' without coolant flowing through the
> coolant portion of the Oil Cooler/Heat Exchanger.
>
> Just block off both hoses, or rig a hose around the whole affair
> temporarily.
> The hoses are surprisingly fiddly to deal with, even though they are
> right there in plain sight.
>
> that's a Standard VW Trick' ..hoses that are different sizes on each end.
>
> re :
> Had to pull the oil filter off to get to the
> hose & was overjoyed to find that the entire crankcase didn't empty
> out :)
>
> Surprising how many people think the oil sump will drain if the oil
> filter is removed.
> It won't, as you found out.
> Oil has to be pumped to the oil filter fitting for that to be a way
> for all oil to get dumped.
>
> yeah just block things off,
> or get some hose and bypass the whole coolant portion of the oil
> cooler/heat exchanger until you get home.
>
> Scott
>
>
> On 7/3/2016 9:54 PM, Steve Williams wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> <posted to Facebook VOG as well>
>>
>> I've got a 1991 Westfalia stock with a 2.1 L (stock) engine.
>>
>> Heading home today, I got the blinking low coolant light.  Heart attack,
>> but the temperature was fine.
>>
>> Pulled over immediately and sure enough the tanks were low. Topped up
>> with water as I only had 50 km to go to my gf's place in Lake Louise and
>> I now knew my low coolant sensor is working, I wasn't too stressed.  The
>> temperature needle never wavered a bit.
>>
>> Tried the parking lot repair and if it hadn't started raining, I
>> probably would have gotten it fixed.  It is what I believe is the return
>> line for the oil cooler.  Had to pull the oil filter off to get to the
>> hose & was overjoyed to find that the entire crankcase didn't empty
>> out :)
>>
>> Other than a brain fart, where I got impatient removing the hose,
>> thinking I had a spare piece that would fit... I cut the old hose off
>> the oil cooler.  Only when I got the hose cut, could I see that the 2
>> ends of the hose are different sizes :(
>>
>> I had cut a slit lengthwise & if I was WAY more patient (or stranded up
>> a logging road, like I could have been if it happened yesterday!), I
>> could have fashioned a repair using the silicone repair tape that I
>> carry with me due to the great recommendation of this list.
>>
>> Like I said, it started raining, so I went inside & had a shower and
>> pondered the situation.
>>
>> I seem to remember reading on this list that the unit isn't so much an
>> "oil cooler", but an "oil pre-heater"... but I could be wrong which is
>> why I'm coming back to the list.
>>
>> I'm 175 km from home on relatively flat roads.  It's not that hot out
>> here in the Canadian mountains.
>>
>> On page 19.14 of the Bently, the hose that is blown is the one on the
>> oil cooler line on the "To Thermostat".
>>
>> I'm thinking to block off the host at the thermostat end as well as the
>> hose coming from the water pump.
>>
>> Am I totally out to lunch?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Steve Williams
>