Date:         Mon, 24 Jul 2000 09:42:37 -0400
Reply-To:     Doug Alcock <dgalcock@hewitt.com>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Doug Alcock <dgalcock@hewitt.com>
Subject:      Re: High altitude power loss
Comments: To: Matthew Bulley <gmbulley@bulley-hewlett.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Hmmmmm.......I think you just diagnosed a problem that I was about to take
to my mechanic. I'm still going to check fuel pressure but I feel much better
now.

Thanks Bulley --- nice to see you back on the list --- does this mean you've
whipped urban sprawl and have a little extra time now???.

Cheers,
Doug
'84 Westy
Toronto, Canada


>Aren't we over analyzing an inconsequential and predictable fault?
>
>In the original post on this subject, the conditions described were (not
>verbatim):"...going down a long hill where I was mostly coasting...then I
>would begin a climb and the engine would sputter, loose power...."   This
>is nothing complicated.
>
>The pickup tube in the fuel tank is at lower rear portion of the tank. In
>normal driving on flat or rolling terrain, even a tiny amount of fuel will
>immerse the pick-up frequently enough to maintain fuel pressure; usually it
>is completely submerged. If however you consistently descending a slope,
>and you have less than half a tank of fuel, it is entirely possible (thanks
>to the pancake fuel tank design) that less-than-enough fuel splashed across
>the pick-up, and only enough pressure was available for idle/coasting.
>
>Upon acceleration on the following climb, you were caught in the delay as
>the huge bubble in you fuel system made its way through the fuel loop.
>
>With most modern mechanical devices, (VW at the top of this list) it is
>most frequently the simplest fault that causes defalcations. Look for the
>simplest first.
>
>G. Matthew Bulley