in gravyland

Van repairs: Coolant level warning light

I’m going to occasionally drop a note in here about mechanical stuff to do with our Lulu. Make sense to share these sort of tips and diagnosis. This is for our 1984 VW T25 Transporter.

So, on the last trip to France, we started to get these weird symptoms: The red coolant-level light would start flashing and the temperature gauge would go unnaturally quickly to maximum and stay there. Stopping the engine and re-starting would often seem to cure the problem.. the temperature gague would return to normal and the flashing light would not show apart from a few seconds at startup.

Firstly, I verified the coolant level was ok. I was worried for a bit that there might be air caught in the radiator system.  There are lots of long pipes making it nice and  complex, with the radiator in the front and the engine and water pump in the back. That was all fine, however, I topped off the coolant tank and the expansion/inspection tank as well. Nothing wrong there.

Then, it was time to look at the wiring diagram and do some experimentation, which revealed:

• The flashing light is latching, in that it will stay on until the ignition is turned off. So that’s why stopping and restarting the engine sometimes cured the problem.
• In my case, the temperature gauge going to maximum is something to do with the red light, not the temperature itself. The wiring diagram sort of suggested this, but I proved it by disconnecting the cable from the sensor. Once open circuit, the flashing light goes on and the temperature gauge goes to maximum. Ok, we are getting somewhere here.
• So, given there is not evidence of missing coolant or overheating, I suspect either the sensor, the connection or the wiring to the sensor.

Cleaning the contacts on the connections to the sensor seems to have solved the problem. The flashing light comes on for 5 seconds after the ignition is turned on, then goes off and stay off. Excellent.

Goats, Vans, Cidre & Sunshine

Took our new old camper van Lulu to Normandy over easter and you can still smell chevre all over us.

How about we all buy a house over there together some time? Do a great website etc… see our friends Jack & Penny’s joint at Negreval which we can always rent cheap.

Had a great meal for Gra’s birthday (ony 16 euro’s for the food and 4 FAB courses).

Basically, love the frogs. Ferry Newhaven to Dieppe…. little coastal towns. All grand.

The restaurant we went to was supplied, recommended and booked for us by the wife of the chevriere (sp?) Jean-Paul Martine we happened upon, just around the corner from the organic farm we were staying on. All near Vassy (120m from Mont St Michelle). We didn’t even get there!

Too full of cidre, cheese and sunshine to bother moving…

More photos from this set on Flickr here

Lulu the Van

You know we’ve been talking about getting a campervan?

Well, we did:

This is (we think her name is) Lulu, a 1984 VW Transporter Caravan.