I did a really stupid thing on Saturday.

I've been having trouble with air entering the cooling system, and I'd
been loosening the pressure cap to bleed the system when the light went
on. I know, alarm bells are going off in your heads. In retrospect, I
just can't understand my own lack of judgment.

On Saturday evening the light went on AND the temp gauge started going
up, which it hadn't done in the past. So I started to loosen the cap and
I just got more air--no coolant. So I loosened it a bit more and it blew
off, with coolant spewing everywhere. And I burned my arm.

So I had the van towed to the dealer (not the same one I had it to last
week, but the guys that have kept it in good shape for the last few
years). They'll check it out and tell me what's up.

My ex-VW mechanic friend says it sounds like a thermostat problem, but
he's not real familiar with Vanagons. It may be the heads or head
gaskets. I replaced them 30K ago, but who knows?

If it's the heads, I can have a whole new (VW refurbed) engine put in for
$2100 plus labor, probably $2900 total. It would come with a 1 year,
12,000 mile warranty from VW. Regardless, I'm just too depressed to keep
the van. I'm selling it, and maybe getting an EV down the road.

So my question is: should I sell the van as is, or get the new engine and
sell it for more? Other than this coolant/engine problem, the van is in
beautiful shape, with lots of new stuff (got a brand new battery 2 weeks
ago, extra seat, rebuilt tranny 60K ago, new Michelins 8K ago, etc.). It
should go for top dollar. Minus the engine/heads if that's what it is....

--Dave