# 85 vw vanagon



## sheablair12 (Oct 31, 2008)

i have a 85 van...the thermostat says it's overheating...but the van runs and drives ok...sometimes it won't start...sometimes it is hurky jerky when first starting to drive off in 1st gear...it's been driving like this for the past 6 months or so...when it first started doing it the overheating sometimes would come on...then go away...i've added water then half hour of driving it's gone...but when i first put the water in i look all around for leaks and nothing comes out...maybe after i turn it on there's a leak? still learning about fixing my two cars now...any help would be awesome...thanks


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## quattrofun5 (Aug 17, 2006)

*Re: 85 vw vanagon (sheablair12)*

You may have more than one issue here so the best way to troubleshoot things is to narrow the field. The cooling issue has nothing to do with hard starting (or non-starting). 
The cooling system is a closed loop - if you are adding coolant/water, it has a leak somewhere. Some of the easy checks - remove the thermostat and check to see if it works. Coolant leaks can be anywhere in the system...if it isn't noticeable externally, it's possible it could be internal (head gasket). If it's external, let the vehicle come up for temperature (thermostat opens) and see if there are any puddles on the ground. If the leak is above a hot area, it could be evaporating before it gets that far so look carefully. 
As far as starting issues and driveability, it can only be one of two things...fuel or spark. Check the basics (clean filters, when was the last time the plugs were pulled to take a look, etc.) and make sure everything is in order. If you don't have one yet, grab a Bentley manual for the van - it will help tons with trouble shooting.


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## jfg69 (Mar 19, 2003)

*Re: 85 vw vanagon (quattrofun5)*

Your cooling issue is more than likely the typical vanagon head gasket issue. Have it pressure tested. Mine drove me nuts for a long time, started out losing a little water at a time, till one day it just failed. Save your engine, get 'er tested.


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