On Tue, 28 Jan 1997, Michael D. Dower wrote:

>From one newbie to another. :)

Don't have a Vanagon (yet - workin' on it!) but I think I might be able 
to offer you some advice, as this problem popped up back in July in my 
'84 Toyota Corolla sedan (w/standard tranny):
 
> Two minutes after I start my 85 Vanagon the temp gauge redlines and blinks
> indicating a serious meltdown. I checked the coolant levels and everything
> seems to be ok. It is leaking from both heads but diminishes when the

In my car, the temperature needle ran warmer or colder than normal, 
despite the fact that it was August in Austin, TX which meant that the 
problem probably wasn't cold-related. A friend advised me that the 
problem was probably related to the thermostat, and it would probably 
need replacing -- a repair which, at the dealer, cost me about $80.

The thermostat, like the one in your house, regulates the running 
temperature of the engine. If it is malfunctioning, your engine might be 
running at other than nominal temperature, even if nothing is actually 
wrong with it. You might want to have this checked at a local repair shop 
or by another VW lover near you. It's much, much cheaper than having your 
engine replaced.

- J

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 | Jennifer Sarantites                |                     Buran@FurryMUCK |
 | sarantit@math.grin.edu             | http://www.math.grin.edu/~sarantit/ |
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