Date:         Sat, 13 May 2000 19:35:07 -0400
Reply-To:     Dave C <happycampers@PICUSNET.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dave C <happycampers@PICUSNET.COM>
Subject:      ECU weirdness with Cabriolet that may apply to a Vanagon or 2 (No
              Vanagon Content)
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Our 91 Cabriolet (Digifant II) was acting weird today. The engine would rev
to 4500-5000 rpm or so, stay, then go way down to 200-300 rpm and then
bottom out.
Well, I went around the various sensors checking them for anomolies and was
puzzled because everything seemed to check out which points to the ECU
itself in the end. CRAP!
Well, it turns out that a major cleaning of the heater box intake to remove
debris caused some moisture to get in the ECU. I know this because I took it
apart and noticed condensation on the walls of the housing.
There was some corrosion taking place around some transistors(?) so I
brushed them clean with a brass brush, dried everything off the best I could
and let the parts sit in the sun for a bit and put it all together again.
I also cleaned up the grounds for the ECU and the contacst points for the
housing mounts.
As soon as I had everything back toghether, she was right as rain!
Idled dead on!
SO, if your Vanagon is acting weird after the areas around the ECU has been
subjected to a washing maybe it has moisture in it!

Dave C.
Williamsburg, VA
           zzzzzzzzz__
         |E[__] [__]|[_]\\
         | _DC&SP | _ ||
* * * =-( )---------( )--=
'85 GL Westy (His)
'91 Cabriolet (Hers) /With dry ECU/