PLEASE HELP! red flashing light, bad smell, hot/cold heaters

Post by **beno** » 03 Sep 2007, 16:13

Hi,

After owning a bay a few years ago I wanted something more reliable and bought a 1989 2.1 transporter.
Can anyone offer advice on these 3 things (might be related).

I have done about 300 miles with no probs, but on the way to VW Action a really bad stink filled the camper for about 10 mins. I altered the top heater control and it stopped.
Also my temp guage does not work and having tried all day it still does'nt, but the red light does flash.
And lastly the blowers can be blowing hot one minute and cold the next without me touching anything.
Thanks in advance for any comments......

Ben

Post by **kevtherev** » 03 Sep 2007, 16:31

Hello beno and welcome

does the light flash all the time or just when you switch on?

Post by **beno** » 03 Sep 2007, 16:54

I've just replaced a dud bulb with a new one. I drove round the block a couple of times and it started flashing a couple of minutes into the trip and stayed flashing.

Post by **kevtherev** » 03 Sep 2007, 17:13

well the flashing light tells you it's low on water and or overheating...
I would imagine it's the former
take off the header tank cap (not the top up tank) and make sure it's up to the brim.
As the heater was going hot and cold you may have to bleed the system and that is described in the wiki at the top of the page look under coolant.

Post by **ringo** » 03 Sep 2007, 17:26

The light flashes when you don't have enough water in the system.

Also, your heater symptoms sound similar to a problem i have when i had air in the cooling system - at times, the temp gauge didnt go up at all.

Look at the wiki about how to bleed your cooling system....

Cheers

Ringo

Post by **purplechugster** » 03 Sep 2007, 17:34

Flashing light, no temp gauge = very low water.

Duff heating = very low water.

Either you're losing (or have already lost) coolant through a split pipe or other calamity, or you have a very large air bubble in there.

So...
Check the water levels (as already said, the tank above the engine, not just the one behind the number plate).

Bleed the engine. Can be a tricky bugger of a job. Persistence is the key (oh, that and the wiki which tells you how to do it properly).

Check for leaks. The first place I'd be looking at for a 'big' leak is the long pipes that run the length of the van underneath. Check with the engine running.

The pipes on mine went, and produced exactly the symptoms as you described - until not long after they went in one big splash of coolant on the road

Post by **beno** » 03 Sep 2007, 17:36

Thats excellent........I'm off to scuff my knuckles. I'll let you know how it goes......

Thanks again

Ben

Post by **kevtherev** » 03 Sep 2007, 17:46

one other thing the cap has a two way water transfer valve enabling it to suck water from the top up tank and equally blow water back into the tank

these can often fail resulting in loss of coolant from the header