Date:         Thu, 16 Mar 2000 20:14:58 -0500
Reply-To:     "Michael S. Nichols" <msnichols@MINDSPRING.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Michael S. Nichols" <msnichols@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject:      ECU Lifespan***Friday Musings***
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Hello from Atlanta--I have often pondered the way the airlines keep 25 year
old planes in service, but consumers for the large part junk their cars
after a few years.  Planes have scheduled maintenance different than our
vans--Why not replace our ECU's, fuel injectors, alternator, starter, or
for that matter replace our drive train components at specified mileage
intervals, before they expire, rather than wait for that Christmas Eve or a
"rainy night miles from home" breakdown of one of these components???
--There is no joy in AAA Emergency Road Service.  Commercial lighting
applications relamp all bulbs on a scheduled time frame, rather than have
maintenance replace the bulbs as they burn out....
I, for one, would much rather replace components in my van on a scheduled
basis, rather than have a vacation road trip to New England interrupted
with Vanagonitis....  Think of it--get under our vans one weekend and
replace the starter, alternator, service the fuel injectors and related
components, do the fuel line replacement per Ken Wilfy.....Any thoughts,
list???   What are the recommendations for critical Vanagon item replacement?

Regards,

Christina and Michael Nichols
Two 1981 Vanagons