My Guess:
    Low or no coolant. Or a leak to simulate running cool, as the
    temp. sensor would not see much heat without coolent.

    Bad temp. sender. I have never sean one go bad on a Vanagon.

    Engine compartment bleeder screw left opened.

     let me know what you find.

            Eric                   86-VW4x4
            vw4x4@fyi.net          72-240z
            Pittsburgh, PA USA     1936-Chrysler

On Wed, 25 Feb 1998, Malcolm Holser wrote:

> I got the Kombi back on the road -- it is an '86 Syncro, but it won't
> get the engine warm.  I have always had trouble with this van running
> a bit cold, but lately it won't get warm at all -- it stays in the lower
> white arc all the time, even uphills.  I put in a new thermostat to no
> avail.  The engine will get warm to the touch, but the "crossover pipes"
> stay cold, and the heater blows cold air.  The only thing I can think of
> is to try *another* new thermostat, and perhaps check out the thermostat
> housing.  Has anybody experienced this one before?  The van runs well --
> it got 20.3mpg last tank in mountain highway driving.
>
> I suppose this is better than overheating, but the defroster won't work at
> all -- just blows cold air on the windshield.  No air bubble here -- all
> the pipes and hoses coming forward are cold, and the engine only get to
> about 120'F -- comfortably warm to hold onto the heads after hard driving.
> There is no rear heater (there is not much in the rear of a Kombi!).  Any
> opinions gladly taken.  This will be the third thermostat if I change it
> again, and I could not find anything wrong with the original.  If anybody
> has a line on a good Syncro thermostat housing that I could get, I'd
> appriciate that too.  I have not asked VW -- maybe I'll find they are
> reasonable on such a Syncro-only part.  Hard to buy not knowing if there
> is need.
>
> Malcolm
>