Hi guys,

this is probably a really stupid question but...

I have an 84 Caravelle and on the temp gauge there is a section, covering about the first 20% of the gauge, which is clearly marked.

Previously (yhe first three months) the gauge stayed in this region. It now runs just over it when on the highway and gets up to almost halfway if sitting at the lights, and that's only in townsville.

A mechanic I spoke to said that was normal. He had installed a seconhand fan into it becasue the old one was glowing red hot. Anyone know if this type of temp is normal?

Marty

In the little bit of driving I've done in a T3, the temp will vary up to ~1/2 way depending on the driving and load on the motor. It does tend to heat up more in heavy traffic than driving along, as you'd expect in any water cooled car.

What I'd be more concerned about is that it has now changed. As the days have been getting cooler over the last 3 months that you've noticed the change, something must be happening.

Have you changed anything in that time? Type of fuel used, driving habits, or noticed any other changes in running?
If no, and the new fan doesn't help it will be worth investigating further to avoid any disasteres in the future.

It might be time to re-new the coolant just in case. I have heard it's recommended to stick with the VW coolant and very little water, if any. I've never done the job, but apparently it's quite an involved job to bleed it properly.
Someone else my have better advice for you on this than me.
:thumb