Date:         Sun, 6 Feb 2000 13:50:19 EST
Reply-To:     EUROMOG@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         John Wessels <EUROMOG@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Vanagon Trivia Answer
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Hello Volks,

Well, the few responses that I received have more faith in the Waterboxer
than I thought.

This one '86 Vanagon went from zero to 33,000 miles without any servicing or
checking of the oil. No other servicing of anything either. What prompted the
owners to bring it in was that the oil pressure light was on and there was a
clicking noise coming from the engine. I checked the dipstick and of course
it read dry.

I did an oil change service but of course it was too late for the engine (yes
it still ran, they drove it in). The oil pressure light would never go off. I
completed an oil pressure test but had to dig out the oil galley so that oil
would come out. Of course the switch was plugged too. It actually did have
oil pressure but was too low at all RPM's.

This Vanagon was still under warranty somehow I don't remember. Believe it or
not VWoA warranted that engine at no cost to this customer. I was amazed as
it's demise was purely due to lack of maintenance. Looking into the breather
at the top and inside the valve covers everything was covered with 1/4"
sludge. I think that VWoA wanted to see that engine and how it made it that
far without oil changes.

John Wessels