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Mon Nov 09, 2009 10:44 am

You can always dip the sender in a cup of boiling water...it should read close to 200 degrees by the time you walk out to the bus...

Mon Nov 09, 2009 11:43 am

Vamstad wrote: You can always dip the sender in a cup of boiling water...it should read close to 200 degrees by the time you walk out to the bus...

i'd do this, your bus could easily be seeing those temps , remove the second crush washers as your not getting a complete seal and the tolerance stack up is preventing your plug from being fully threaded.

do those 2 things and you'll know if your gauge is right or not.

Mon Nov 09, 2009 1:18 pm

WhirledTraveller wrote: If he's using a DD, I think he's getting accurate readings.

Either a) he's getting exhaust leakage at his spark plug
or b) his head is really that hot.

Is the sender still circular? It it's oval then it needs to be replaced

I don't understand "my spark plugs don't really have color". Everything has a color. White? Gray? Brown? Black? Do they all look the same?

What is there not to understand about the spark plug not having color? They really don't have color! All of them look as if they were brand new with a little gas smell to them. So what's not to understand??

The sender is still in great shape, no carbon marks at all.

Mon Nov 09, 2009 1:32 pm

If they all look brand new then I think it is safe to say that you are running just a tad lean.
The white thing that sticks out of the center of the spark plug, ideally, should be sorta bronze colored. I like my spark plugs the same way I like my toast.

I found this in the gallery.
Notice the white ceramic thing is no longer white. It is brown. Brown is ok, black is bad, white is bad.

I don't know enough about reading a spark plug to go on and on about it so I won't, but it is one of the first things I check if my engine does not seem to be running correctly. Some people can look at a spark plug and tell you how much air pressure you have in your tires.

Mon Nov 09, 2009 2:35 pm

Ya tad lean and a tad hot I would say if they look new.

Mon Nov 09, 2009 3:39 pm

What are you trying to correct? A gauge that isn't accurate or an engine that runs to hot.

Mon Nov 09, 2009 4:06 pm

Desertbusman wrote: What are you trying to correct? A gauge that isn't accurate or an engine that runs to hot.

i don't think he knows which yet

Mon Nov 09, 2009 4:12 pm

theizzardking wrote: i don't think he knows which yet

That's kind of my point. A gauge that is saying that say's temps are wonderful won't prevent an engine from frying.

Mon Nov 09, 2009 4:27 pm

Desertbusman wrote: theizzardking wrote: i don't think he knows which yet

That's kind of my point. A gauge that is saying that say's temps are wonderful won't prevent an engine from frying.

True. I had a thread saying my engine wasn't running good also, but nobody seemed to care, but they did like bashing me...

I'm trying to solve this whole sha-bang, engine running correctly and the DD.

You see how can I adjust, or even figure out I'm running rich or lean?

I messed with the cog-wheel by turning it one way or the other and nothing has happened.

So, the thing is running pretty good, but how would I truly know if I don't have the right tools to test it, like a gas sniffer.

So I;m thinking everything is running correctly and I had a question about the DD and the crush washer... but everything got shifted and turned into what it is now.

Tue Nov 10, 2009 9:54 am

Check that sender, man :!:

Eliminating this from the list of possibilities will take little time and will be essential in your diagnosis of the problem.

If it checks out OK, then pay attention to how the sender is situated under the plug...if it is ovalized, you may just have an exhaust leak past the plug/sender causing the high temps.

Tue Nov 10, 2009 10:03 am

I have to say, those DD gauges are accurate as anything; for some reason, mine even works on the outside temps when I start it up (I've check on another thermometer; down to about 37 degrees F). My sender is also fairly messy and ovalized, but the engine temps still don't get to 450, and there's no soot leaking. So just look for soot on the sender; it seems pretty straightforward.

And why not post a pic of one of those colorless spark plugs?? I'm having a hard time imaging that too...

Tue Nov 10, 2009 10:07 am

Smurf wrote:

I'm trying to solve this whole sha-bang, engine running correctly and the DD.

Ok, you've gota two ste process ahead of you.

1) Check the guage readings as mentioned in prior posts (boiling water, etc.)

2) Check the mixture with an exhaust sniffer. Read this thread:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=309518

Then contact member "type11969". If he has free time, I bet he'd let you run to his shop for a quick test. Buy him a beer or something. I've been meaning to buy a LM-1 for a looong time; but keep forgetting. As soon as (if) I do, you're more than welcome to stop by and use it.

Tue Nov 10, 2009 10:15 am

mattcuddy wrote: Smurf wrote:

I'm trying to solve this whole sha-bang, engine running correctly and the DD.

Ok, you've gota two ste process ahead of you.

1) Check the guage readings as mentioned in prior posts (boiling water, etc.)

2) Check the mixture with an exhaust sniffer. Read this thread:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=309518

Then contact member "type11969". If he has free time, I bet he'd let you run to his shop for a quick test. Buy him a beer or something. I've been meaning to buy a LM-1 for a looong time; but keep forgetting. As soon as (if) I do, you're more than welcome to stop by and use it.

Why don't you and the OP chuck in together and buy a sniffer? Or even better, get on the AIRS list or your local VW club and find a few more to pitch in??