Geeze, I don't know what the heck is going on with my Temp gauge on the dash cluster. After having the radiator and coolant expansion tank replaced, the gauge all of a sudden is reading 3/4 to full and Flashing.
Since I was having these guys do all this work(which was crazy since no original parts exist and the guys had to custom install and wire everything) I also had them put in a new starter and a new alternator.
I went to pick up the van today and everything looked shiny new and nice. We test drove the van up a steep pass and carried an infra-red gun with us to see the temps on the radiator, hoses, and block. All the temperatures read normal as indicated by the infra-red gun(about 130-145 degrees F on the radiator and about 185-195 degrees F on the return hoses and block) , the fan worked, the heat felt normal, and everything seemed to be working great, except for my temp gauge on my dash cluster. It would shoot up to 3/4 and higher causing the temp warning light to flash.
The mechanic and I went over a bunch of electrical tests(unplugging, grounding, etc...) and also replaced the temp sensor. Took the van for another test drive and still the same reading.
So a probable diagnosis, the temp gauge is f'ed. However, as far as I know, before the mechanics did any work, the gauge worked. Why would the gauge be reading much higher now even though the work they did should not have effected it? Has anyone ever experienced this? The LED warning light only flashes when the needle reads above 3/4. The mechanics also put in a new thermostat. Could it be defective?
God I love this car! Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks
Temp gauge reading high and flashing. All else normal?
Moderator: Fatmobile
Temp gauge reading high and flashing. All else normal?
Dave and his 82 Diesel Vanagon
Dave,
I haven't experienced this in my van, and I don't know why you'd have this discrepancy. I've got some questions, and some basic stuff I'd check if I were in your situation; may well be obvious but I'll brainstorm anyway.
Did you "need" a new radiator and expansion tank after an overheat episode?
Did they put it the '83 expansion tank, and fab up adapters to fit it to the original hoses?
What radiator did they use, and what fan/shroud did they use? Did they use a fan temp sender with 3 prongs for a single two-staged fan, or two two-pronged sensors for dual fans? Could they have used senders with differing than stock temp ranges?
Did they fab up any hosing to replace the stock stuff?
Are you sure your ground connections are in good shape (to the extent that so many electrical anomalies end up being grounding issues)?
Are you certain the cooling system has been bled of all air bubbles (the best methods I'm aware of are either positioning the vehicle on a hill or otherwise jacking it so that the rad vent is the high point, or using the pvc pipe with a rubber plumbing reducer DIY tool to temporarily raise the height of the fill tank)?
A "flail" approach might be to replace the sender. Even if the current one is good, once you get the problem fixed it's always good for peace of mind.
Best of luck tracking this down!
I haven't experienced this in my van, and I don't know why you'd have this discrepancy. I've got some questions, and some basic stuff I'd check if I were in your situation; may well be obvious but I'll brainstorm anyway.
Did you "need" a new radiator and expansion tank after an overheat episode?
Did they put it the '83 expansion tank, and fab up adapters to fit it to the original hoses?
What radiator did they use, and what fan/shroud did they use? Did they use a fan temp sender with 3 prongs for a single two-staged fan, or two two-pronged sensors for dual fans? Could they have used senders with differing than stock temp ranges?
Did they fab up any hosing to replace the stock stuff?
Are you sure your ground connections are in good shape (to the extent that so many electrical anomalies end up being grounding issues)?
Are you certain the cooling system has been bled of all air bubbles (the best methods I'm aware of are either positioning the vehicle on a hill or otherwise jacking it so that the rad vent is the high point, or using the pvc pipe with a rubber plumbing reducer DIY tool to temporarily raise the height of the fill tank)?
A "flail" approach might be to replace the sender. Even if the current one is good, once you get the problem fixed it's always good for peace of mind.
Best of luck tracking this down!
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-'82 quantum wagon, gutting.
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Josh,
thanks for the response. I'll do my best to answer the questions.
Q- "Did you "need" a new radiator and expansion tank after an overheat episode?"
A- Yes I did. The coolant expansion tank had actually melted where the the cap is supposed to seal, and the radiator was original, 250,000 miles old. It was filled with crud and I could tell it was clogged up because after taking it up a canyon one side felt hotter than the other side.
Q- "Did they put it the '83 expansion tank, and fab up adapters to fit it to the original hoses?"
A- They installed an '84 expansion tank. Yes they needed to fabricate the adaptor for the upper port receiving coolant from the engine, and they used some crazy T-shaped hose for the lower port going to the water pump. Apparently the t-shaped hose can't be found anywhere. The guy had it sitting on the shelf for 8 years and had no idea what to use it for until he encountered my van.
Q- "What radiator did they use, and what fan/shroud did they use? Did they use a fan temp sender with 3 prongs for a single two-staged fan, or two two-pronged sensors for dual fans? Could they have used senders with differing than stock temp ranges?"
A- They used a new radiator intended for Vanagons 83 and up. This one was made mostly from plastic, as opposed to mine which was made entirely of metal and weighed 3x as much. They kept my original fan, not sure what the "shroud" is but I'd imagine they kept the original. My original radiator had 2 2-pronged sensors and the new radiator was equipped for one 3-prong fan temp sender. I'll have to check with them if they deviated from the stock temp senders.
Q- "Did they fab up any hosing to replace the stock stuff?"
A- as stated above, they had to fab up some adaptors and replaced the hose from expansion tank to water pump with a crazy T-shaped hose. Also the new radiator was slightly different than the old, as the port for the return line was located on the bottom of the radiator, as opposed to the top on the old radiator.
Q- "Are you sure your ground connections are in good shape (to the extent that so many electrical anomalies end up being grounding issues)?"
A- This will certainly need to be determined. great question, thanks!
Q- "Are you certain the cooling system has been bled of all air bubbles?"
A- This was my question too, I'll ask them on monday when I see them again.
Well Thanks! All great questions.
Any other suggestions anyone?
thanks for the response. I'll do my best to answer the questions.
Q- "Did you "need" a new radiator and expansion tank after an overheat episode?"
A- Yes I did. The coolant expansion tank had actually melted where the the cap is supposed to seal, and the radiator was original, 250,000 miles old. It was filled with crud and I could tell it was clogged up because after taking it up a canyon one side felt hotter than the other side.
Q- "Did they put it the '83 expansion tank, and fab up adapters to fit it to the original hoses?"
A- They installed an '84 expansion tank. Yes they needed to fabricate the adaptor for the upper port receiving coolant from the engine, and they used some crazy T-shaped hose for the lower port going to the water pump. Apparently the t-shaped hose can't be found anywhere. The guy had it sitting on the shelf for 8 years and had no idea what to use it for until he encountered my van.
Q- "What radiator did they use, and what fan/shroud did they use? Did they use a fan temp sender with 3 prongs for a single two-staged fan, or two two-pronged sensors for dual fans? Could they have used senders with differing than stock temp ranges?"
A- They used a new radiator intended for Vanagons 83 and up. This one was made mostly from plastic, as opposed to mine which was made entirely of metal and weighed 3x as much. They kept my original fan, not sure what the "shroud" is but I'd imagine they kept the original. My original radiator had 2 2-pronged sensors and the new radiator was equipped for one 3-prong fan temp sender. I'll have to check with them if they deviated from the stock temp senders.
Q- "Did they fab up any hosing to replace the stock stuff?"
A- as stated above, they had to fab up some adaptors and replaced the hose from expansion tank to water pump with a crazy T-shaped hose. Also the new radiator was slightly different than the old, as the port for the return line was located on the bottom of the radiator, as opposed to the top on the old radiator.
Q- "Are you sure your ground connections are in good shape (to the extent that so many electrical anomalies end up being grounding issues)?"
A- This will certainly need to be determined. great question, thanks!
Q- "Are you certain the cooling system has been bled of all air bubbles?"
A- This was my question too, I'll ask them on monday when I see them again.
Well Thanks! All great questions.
Any other suggestions anyone?
Dave and his 82 Diesel Vanagon
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- Diesel Freak
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You might post photos of your new hose setup so we can see that all is correct with water flow. The cool water form the heater for example should flow through the expansion tank before the thermostat so it gets heated a bit and does not cause the thermo to cool too much (thus holding the thermo closed and keeping the engine from being cooled with rad water.)
re: the rad senders. if the wiring is good the 3pin is fine.... anyhow this has nothing to do with overheat on the move.
Put the heater 1/2 way on while on the highway (so you have a slight restriction in the hose)... this will allow you to hear more clearly if air is passing through the valve. If you find air, that is part of the diagnosis.
re: the rad senders. if the wiring is good the 3pin is fine.... anyhow this has nothing to do with overheat on the move.
Put the heater 1/2 way on while on the highway (so you have a slight restriction in the hose)... this will allow you to hear more clearly if air is passing through the valve. If you find air, that is part of the diagnosis.