In reference to:

Date:    Wed, 29 Sep 1999 12:45:04 -0700
From:    "Renouard, Robert"
<Robert.Renouard@METROKC.GOV>
Subject: Re: Head leaks & Witches Brews.

>I've got the famous blinking red light syndrome...
>light comes on but interestingly, once the light
comes >on, I can turn-off the motor, restart it and
the light >turns off and the temperature gauge
slightly drops.  >This gets me an additional 100 miles
before I have to >add about a
>quart of coolant.  A few Questions:
>
>1.  Why does cutting the engine and immediatly
>restarting drop the temperature?

I had the same thing happen in my '85 Weekender, there
was a slow leak somewhere in the system. I lived with
it but just kept adding fluid every so often. I got
good at turning the ignition off-and-on while driving
to get the light off. In my understanding of the
system, the sensor is in the sealed resivour tank and
when the level drops it uncovers the sensor and
triggers it. When you turn the ignition off-and-on
again, it resets the system until the sensor gets
uncovered again.

>2. How long can I expect to survive like this?
Mine survived years like this, I just made sure I
filled up the tank before I took a long drive. There
is a caveat though; about 6 months ago I had this
happen when I needed to get someone to the hospital,
so I couldn't stop and add water. For 10 miles I had
to turn the ignition off-and-on at 55MPH (Oh, what
fun). To make a long story short, when removing the
exaust system recently from my old '85, the catalytic
converter was GONE. Completely melted away. From
reading the Bentley manual and the owners manual on my
new '87 GL, I think I fried the cat when I was doing
this (I think this is the 'do not turn ignition
off-and-on while driving' part from the owners
manual).
My 2 cents worth

Vern Moen
vmoen@yahoo.com
1987 Vanagon GL
Arlington, WA (North of Seattle)
Home to most of the Vanagons in the World it seams...

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