Consolidated: Vanagon Coolant Lessons Learned

[kjono09]

Thought it would be nice to have a "Consolidated: Vanagon Coolant Lessons Learned" thread for quick trouble shooting of coolant issues. This will payback to the community and ease future headache on this issue.

Please briefly add to this thread your experience, i.e.

CAUSE:
SYMPTOM(S):
SOLUTION:
_________________
84 Retro-Westy GW 2.2L (Vincent)
67 Bug 2007cc (WBX in progress) (Davey)

Submariner

[dobryan]

The most excellent FAQ section has this pretty well organized under the 'Engine Cooling' section.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6236044#6236044


_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The West Coast Westy
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[kjono09]

CAUSE: Air Trapped in Radiator, not front heater core.

SYMPTOM(S):
1.) When at highway speeds, high RPMs, or when thermostat was open and using radiator heavily can started to very, very quickly overheat.

2.) Turning of engine or lowering rpm/load dropped heat quickly.

3.) Engine never overheated during around town driving in Monterrey, where it is pretty flat and cool.

SOLUTION:
1.) Through various PITA methods bleed the system.
A.) I filled system with nose of van up hill and radiator bleeder open. I ran the van on high RPM to drop level in fill tank inorder to add more coolant.
B.) I drove down hill with radiator bleeder valve slightly cracked and rear engine bleeder open.
c.) repeat, till air out of system, have all heater on full blast.
_________________
84 Retro-Westy GW 2.2L (Vincent)
67 Bug 2007cc (WBX in progress) (Davey)

Submariner

[kamzcab86]

SYMPTOM(S): Fan turned on high while freeway driving (2 miles from home so no overheat or flashing light). Parked in street while unloading... lake's worth of coolant drained onto pavement.

CAUSE: Dead water pump.

SOLUTION: Replaced water pump (along with a slew of hoses while the system was drained)... good for a few new curse words.

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SYMPTOM(S): Constantly topping off coolant. Finally saw a small wet spot under the left side of the van.

CAUSE: Leaky rear heater.

SOLUTION: Ripped the rear heater out and replaced the T-fittings with straight fittings. (Desert dweller who doesn't generally camp/travel in frigid conditions and never used the rear heater; prefer having the storage space... rear heater removal is not for everyone.)

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SYMPTOM(S): Pulled into a parking lot, got out and saw coolant pouring onto the pavement. Pulled the lid to find...

CAUSE: Cracked coolant tank (relatively new one at that).

SOLUTION: Replaced coolant tank (for the second time).

[t3 kopf]

Symptom: After replacing all heater hoses from engine to front, and relocating the (new) meyle front heater valve to the cab directly under the heater core, found coolant dripping in the driveway from the passenger side door step area an hour after the first drive around town. Further investigation revealed the passenger side floor mat was saturated with coolant.

Cause: Brand new meyle heater valve leaking already.

Solution: Replaced with a 15 dollar ford heater valve in the same place. Dry as a bone still months later.
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'90 Carat w/ '95 phase 1 EJ22 OBD2 conversion

[volkswagenguru]

Symtom: Pull into doctors office to see all coolant leaking out.
Cause: blown coolant hose from thermostat to distribution tower
Solution: replaced hose.

Symtom: driving down the highway start to see small puffs of smoke next thing you know a smoke screen James Bond would be proud of.
Cause: Blown waterpump
Solution: new waterpump

Symtom: coolant overflow out of the overflow bottle only after driving in on the highway.
Causes: Bad pressure cap and blown headgasket.
Solution: replaced headgaskets on both heads new pressure cap thermostat.

[vegpedlr]

Symptom(s):
Playing whack-a-mole with leaks: radiator hose clamp X2, fan switch, bleeder valve plug X2
Cause: Leaky head gasket allowed combustion gases into cooling system, over pressurizing the cooling system just looking for a weak spot...
Solution:
Head gaskets replaced and resealed

[Vanagon Nut]

replaced ~ 90% of cooling system on an '88 WBX.

symptom: coolant loss but mostly at sustained highway speeds.

two causes:

failing O ring at coolant level sensor
failing O ring at rear heater valve.

Cause to former: aside from time, unknown.
cause to latter: during new heater hose install, wrestled hose onto upper nipple at heater. This may have hastened failure of O ring at valve. Fasteners at valve to core were not tight.

Of note, coolant loss at expansion bottle (level sensor O ring) was somewhat insidious. At times, coolant evaporated at bottle recess area before it would drip down.
_________________
1981 Westy air cooled to 15º ABA swap: http://tinyurl.com/y9n4xob8

50º ABA Swap in to '88 Westy: http://tinyurl.com/yap5hpwt

Vanagon VAG GAS engine swap Google Group:
https://tinyurl.com/2f24rmh

VE7TBN

[avernon82]

Question:

SYMPTOM: Coolant level in pressure bottle is very high after driving
CAUSE: bad cap?
SOLUTION: replace cap?

[Terry Kay]

Symptom ;
Can't identify anything behind the van while driving on expressway at 70 mph, large cloud of white steam permeating from rear of van.

Cause;
Obvious leak /hole on outside coolant pipe behind R/H rear wheel.

Cure;
Stop on shoulder, loosen expansion tank cap, get the van to friends house, replace lost coolant with water, drive back to work, manufacture stainless coolant pipes out of 1.25" Caterpillar D-8 hydraulic tubing, drive back home with a tight system.

( Note; This was the first set of replacement stainless replacement pipes ever made for a Vanagon)
_________________
T.K.