Temp gauge high and fast blinking LED

[Arlo Breezy]

My van temp is running high. Also my LED is staying on blinking fast. What should I do?

87 vanagon 2.1

[jlrftype7]

Stop running the engine. Get some somewhere safe off the road if you're on the road , inspect coolant level in your expansion tank and for any signs of coolant leakage. Blinking light means you're probably actually low on coolant due to a leak, the higher than normal temp gauge reading only adds to it. Don't lose your engine!!!!
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'68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
‘84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto

[vanis13]

Based on how your post is written

Option A - take it to a mechanic

Option B - get ready for a steep learning curve in auto diagnostics/repair

Please let us know if you are up for option B so we know our suggestions are appropriate.

Writing up the situation like this example would allow us to best help you.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9926287#9926287
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83.5 Westy with Subaru 2.5, 4 spd manual, center seat, COLD A/C on 134a!, Winter camp heated with an Espar B4 gasoline furnace

www.SuperVanagon.com - some stuff I make

[danfromsyr]

you need to open the engine compartment and see the coolant level in the coolant pressure tank.
not the expansion tank behind the license plate
but the Pressure tank that has the level sensor on it..

find out why/where you are low on coolant.. ie. a leak or burst hose/pipe
look at the pipe that runs on the Driver's side by the exhaust.
look at the coolant lines to/from the engine to the radiator.. the metal ends slide out of the plastic pipes over time.

that's just a few of the miles of coolant lines to inspect.
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[vanis13]

[DuncanS]

Coolant tank in question is the at the very back of the engine compartment on the left side. There is a pressure cap--maybe blue--which has a small hose sticking out from the side. It most likely has a spring clamp on it. Press the two legs of the spring clamp together and slide the clamp about 2 to 3 inches away from the cap. Force the hose off the nipple by pushing the end closest to the cap. You can't pull it off as it will only shrink the hose and do the Chinese finger trap thing and grab tighter. Once the hose is off, you can unscrew the cap and see into the tank which should be full. If not, top it off. Don't bother with the overflow hose. Start the engine, and check to see if the light went off. Look under the front of the car and under the engine area to see if coolant is coming out. If yes, pinpoint the leak and fix it. It could be a small leak that over time created the loss such that the light came on. If everything seems OK, put the small hose back on and drive a few miles. Upon return with a nice warm engine where the light never went on and the coolant needle stayed where it is supposed to be, park over some newspapers and check in a couple of hours to see if any of them got wet and where. Then you can start to pinpoint where the leak actually is. The ends, front and back, of the plastic coolant pipes is a good place to start investigating. If you could see the coolant coming out, don't drive until it is fixed. Plenty of threads about repairing the plastic pipes and other areas.

Duncan