Club 80-90 Forums

Firstly hello as I am new to forum. I have been into vws for 12 years or more and a friend recently asked me to look at her 1989 LHD Westfalia Vanagon running 1.6 td JX. She explained is would periodically overheat. First thing i noticed was that header tanks and water pump looked fairly new.
So far i have changed the fan switch as this was not working, the thermostat for a genuine one the water pump, temp sender, dalek and radiator and spent a lot of time flushing each pipe through. The van would be fine on tickover and then when driven around 60 mph for a short while would overheat but rad was cold. In the end i removed the head and found the head to be scrap and water had been getting into bore #2 so new head and gaskets fitted.
Started the van and bled system noticed that the gauge was at max again, however the engine and pipes do not seem hot and my infra red thermo showed them to be healthy temps.
I have looked through the wiki and tried everything to stop gauge hitting max but it still does it.
I even put my syncro (with aaz) next to this van and started them at same time monitoring temps. They headed up the same until half way when my syncro stopped steady and this one just slowly rose higher and higher.
The only other difference is that the syncro the bottom hose and rad got warm much sooner???
I even swapped the clocks and still problem persists.
I am close to quitting on this van as I have run out of ideas.
My questions are
1) Has anyone got any ideas?
2) Is it possible the wiring is at fault? I can't find and damage though and have checked all earths?
3) Has anyone fitted an after market temp gauge and sender?
The only other things I have noticed is that the battery light is on very dim at tickover, alternator putting out 14.5 volts.
Also the earth strap from battery to block has been replaced which I know is common to overcome hot start issues etc but I can't see a battery to body strap anywhere?? Surely it should have one. Certainly my syncro and my old Golf does.

Ok...
Is the rad getting hot?
There should be an earth strap from the gearbox to chassis.

May need bleeding.

Right guys and girls cracked it...
Last night i sat looking through ETKA ( i do have a life honest) and found out the temp sender is the same part number as that used by a MK2 Digifant golf. It just so happens I own one of these and know my gauge works perfectly. I swapped the sender from golf into the van. Took the van out for a good 15 mle thrash and it never got past half way on gauge.
My thoughts on this saga are in the first istance the scrap head Was causing pressuring of system so much so it was boiling over.
The original temp sender had got so hot at some point it had buckled from heat therefore causing it to fail.
Some idiot (me) went against better judgement and fitted non genuine sender and got bittien and wasted a lot of hours watching an annoying temp gauge even though engine was not hot.

Therefore If you go through the time and expense of fitting a new head etc don't cut corners to save time as I did. wait and spend the extra tenner and fit new genuine sender....
The other thing I have learned from this is the old water pump with pressed steel impeller was not doing a good job at all. After fittig one with alloy cast impeller once i crack the rad bleed screw i get a good strong jet of water.

I hope this helps someone and I have leaned a lot about these an now so if anyone needs any help I'll see what I can do. Regards Steven.

Thanks for posting back - always useful to know what cured it.

And if you weren't aware....Brickwerks is a good source of parts for our vans - he only sells what he fits.....and parts from any new supplier are thoroughly tested before allowed on the shelf!

Em
xx

I had to post the cure as there is nothing more frustrating than someone not closing a thread. I'm on first name terms with local VW dealers and it only cost £22. Most of the time the dealers aren't too badly priced in my opinion. I'll certainly keep brickwerks in mind. Steven.

Bloody Vans. Well it gets worse took van out today for short run after bolting all up tightly. 5 miles down road after running perfectly there was a little "blip" and she cut out. She wouldn't re- start would run if revved but not past 2000 rpm and then would cut out once off throttle. Checked cut off solenoid all well. Also is billowing white smoke out and smell like a bbq.
I'm wondering if injection timing has moved although i fail to see how.
The only other thing i noticed was that a little diesel was coming from base of 2 injectors. I checked these and they torqued down a little so leak has stopped but still no start and lots of white smoke, presumably unburnt fuel.

HELP!!!

Why smoke is usually coolant I'm afraid. Black is unburnt fuel.

Get a "sniff check" done on your coolant to make sure your head hasn't gone again

I'd be amazed if the head is shot after only a few miles it definately appears to be fuel related. Even if it was head gasket it would still run. The amount of smoke coming out would mean it would be drinking coolant. I've blown a head gasket on a petrol golf before and that blew steam out like a steam engine this is white smoke.
It's like the fuel isn't being pulled through properly and there seems to be too much air in return and feed fuel pipes.
I've re tourqued injectors and all leak off pipes are new. When i find the fault i'll let you all know for reference