If your heat is VERY slow to warm up, your thermostat may be stuck in the
OPEN position.

When the motor is cold, a car's thermostat keeps the coolant in a short
circuit, basically around the motor, and through the heater core (Don't
know if the heater core is in that circuit in the Vanagon, mine is
aircooled). As the motor warms up, more and more coolant is allowed to flow
through the radiator. This allows the motor to warm up quickly, for better
fuel economy and lower emissions. As a benefit, the heater *should* warm up
within the first mile or two.

If yours is stuck open, even when the motor is ice cold, your coolant is
circulating through the whole circuit, as if the motor was blazing hot.

Hope this helps.

G. Matthew Bulley
Director
Bulley-Hewlett & Associates
www.bulley-hewlett.com
Cary, NC USA
888.468.4880 tollfree

-----Original Message-----
From:   ~K~ [SMTP:maddie@INTERLOG.COM]
Sent:   Tuesday, November 16, 1999 10:24 PM
To:     vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject:        Re: heating start-up

Anyone have any tricks for getting the heat going fast in an 85 (or
whatever) Vanagon? Usually it's on just about when i get where i'm going.
ALso curious as to other people's start-up time. Feel like i'm driving
around in a bug sometimes ..and it's getting COLD here now!

thanks in advance..