GoWesty's New Water Temp Buzzer

[jwallis]

[t3 kopf]

On the new german aftermarket KAE brand low coolant level warning relay from van cafe, the alarm also goes off with low coolant.
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'90 Carat w/ '95 phase 1 EJ22 OBD2 conversion

[ricekooker]

I recently upgraded my cluster foil with the GW replacement and opted for the coolant alarm. For some reason the alarm sounds while my van is warming up... my coolant is full and obviously not hot. I have to turn off the van when it's somewhat warm to get the alarm to stop. Has anyone had this issue?

[bluebus86]

[jwallis]

[wehrbüchse]

Guys I cannot get my GW alarm to work. My only running vehicle is currently very slowly bleeding exhaust gas into the coolant system. I periodically have to stop and transfer coolant from the fill tank into the expansion tank. I’m going to do a head gasket job when I get back down to my garage in another state.

EDIT: somehow I had a 1.9 coolant level control unit, the taller type, plugged it in and now the go Westy buzzer works if I unplug the connector to the coolant level sensor.

[jwallis]

I installed a bostig in my '84 and even now when I pull the level sensor, the dash/alarm work in the same way as previously. Of course this is expected because it's the same signal to the dash, just a different wiring harness. Needle pegs, light flashes, alarm sounds.
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TheVanTracker.com - Kill Switch + GPS Tracker + Door-open alerts, made specifically for the Vanagon!
50+ YouTube videos - brakes, bearings, CV joints, 1.9/2.1 cooling system, mods, Bostig and more...

[coastdog]

Is there a way to test that the GW coolant alarm is working?

I am having rad fan issues where while idling sometimes the low speed fan is not coming on (it’s intermittant) but the high speed fan activates at 211°F at the thermostat (scan gauge). Approximately but not at the exact time as high speed fan comes on the red LED temp light starts flashing. The temp needle on the gauge is just below the white line and just above the LED as the light starts blinking which seems too low for a flashing LED but I don’t know at what gauge reading or temp the light should flash...
Once the high speed fan runs for 15-20 seconds and then stops, the temp slowly falls to around 200°F. If the low speed fan does come on it catches the temp at about 205°F and pulls the temp back so the high speed fan doesn’t come on.

Also the GW coolant alarm doesn’t come on when the red LED flashes which brings me back to my original question.

[beach_creature]

What year is your van? AC?
Maybe a rad switch problem?
If you have a newer van with the 450W fan, you should have a resistor that could be causing problems for the low speed. Or maybe a faulty connection if intermittent.

Don’t know about the buzzer not working though.

Also this a pretty good article on how the rad fan works. It also states when the light will flash in accordance with the gauge.

https://www.gowesty.com/tech-article-details.php?id=74
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84 Westy
1.9TD AAZ
5spd manual with Locking Peloquin TBD

[jwallis]

Yeah for me as soon as the light flashes, the alarm sounds. It's not entirely cool. It's good that it alerts you to the flashing, but when you see the flashing it'll stress you out and that alarm is loud as hell, adding more stress.

If it ever happens just try to be cool and trust that you haven't fried your motor yet, that should take a couple minutes. Just pull over as soon as you safely can so you can shut it off and look around.
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TheVanTracker.com - Kill Switch + GPS Tracker + Door-open alerts, made specifically for the Vanagon!
50+ YouTube videos - brakes, bearings, CV joints, 1.9/2.1 cooling system, mods, Bostig and more...

[coastdog]

Thanks for the replies. Van is an 88 syncro conversion. No AC. Fan was upgraded to 450 watt with the green resistor behind the left headlight with the conversion. I put a new resistor in a few days ago when I noticed that the low speed fan was not working right.

Can anyone tell me the correct hook up of the 3 wires on the resistor. The old resistor had the 2 short wires side by side across one end of the resistor. The new one had them lined up along the length of the resistor at 1 end so it was impossible to match them to th old wires. Maybe it doesn’t matter. The long wire at the other end was obvious. I will try swapping the 2 short wires, check the switch wiring and then change out the switch on the rad if necessary.

I guess my GW alarm is not working if it’s not sounding when my light flashes (which seems way too early both needle and temp wise... a mystery to solve there if anyone has any input. Jwallis, I will be ready if the alarms ever sounds. Thanks for the warning. Although yours seems to sound with the flashing LED, would be nice to know for sure what the actual trigger for the alarm to sound is...

Any help on if my temp gauge needle/LED is out of whack relative to the scan gauge temps at the thermostat would be great (details a few posts back) and if there is a way to test the GW alarm.

[seventyfo]

I’m a big fan of this upgrade and I like that the low level alarm sets it off. It went off in the middle of BFE Utah and I was able to swap out the leaking connector and do a quick bleed, a 20 minute job on the side of the road, instead of dealing with an overheating event.
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85 Vanagon GL Westy GW 2.2 (Rebuilt by YT)


"I don't know you well enough to care about your comments". Watkins Cravey

[shagginwagon83]

After my recent coolant hose breakdown - I bought this kit. I looked down while driving and the peg was at 75% where it is usually at 50%. I don't remember if my coolant light was blinking or not - it all happened so fast.
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Brandon
"Jo Ann" - '83.5 Westfalia EJ22e w/Peloquin
Instagram @joannthevan

[coastdog]

SW83, do you mean the needle read 75% on the gauge where it read 50% before the cool alarm install. And did the alarm sound at 75%?

[shagginwagon83]

[coastdog]

Great thanks. Trying to determine how to test if alarm is working and if it sounds at the same time as the red LED flashes. Look forward to your feedback when able.
Coastdog

[shagginwagon83]

I am curious as this as well. Because as I recall GoWesty's online description says that it does NOT sound the alarm when the LED is blinking - but only sounds the alarm when the temperature is running hotter.

I think though, if you were low on coolant, you would run hotter, which should sound the alarm.
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Brandon
"Jo Ann" - '83.5 Westfalia EJ22e w/Peloquin
Instagram @joannthevan

[Paulbeard]

Curious how this works, given I have had a boilover without any sign of overheating at the gauge. Between a confirmed bad blue cap and what I suspect is a failed voltage regulator (gauge reads low consistently now, would this buzzer do any good at all?
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Currently -> Frida: 87 Tizian Red (mostly) Vanagon GL Westfalia w/ 2.0L ABA conversion
Formerly -> Steward of a 73 Super Beetle (Beater) and 67 Beetle 1300 (Little Max) both names by POs

[shagginwagon83]

[Paulbeard]