Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2000 19:53:41 -0400
Reply-To: Tom and Dana Cates <dcates1@HOME.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Tom and Dana Cates <dcates1@HOME.COM>
Subject: A.I.R.S Rescue, Sort of. (Long)
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Well....
I got a call Sunday afternoon from a Gentleman on the coast of NC, referred
to me by G. Marv Krupp from the call to him placed by the aforementioned
Gentleman originating from the A.I.R.S. List. Got it?
His daughters 79 Westfalia had ceased operation at Brevard College. It is
her first semester in a new town and they were unfamiliar with the
territory, both mechanical and geographic.
The Gentleman I think misunderstood the nature of A.I.R.S., and seemed to
think that we are a list of mechanics for hire. I had to repeatedly refuse
both his and his daughters offers of money. He found us surfing via the Type
2 site. They are not members and apparently had no knowledge of this entire
subterranean vista.
Anyway, a bus was in need, so my wife (after some sharp trading, I had to
agree to vacuum after we got back) and I loaded up in the A***a to check it
out.
When I got there she wanted to give me the keys so I could tow it away.
I smiled but I did not laugh out loud.
She is a very nice girl, and helped me open it up for an inspection. She
cranked it up and it ran very roughly. First thing, I checked the points and
they were burned moderately, at least enough to run as badly as I had
observed. I showed them to her and asked if she had another set. I thought
for sure that all busses had a spare, but not hers. I carry a set even
though I have the Pertronix, cause, well, you never know.
So we offered her a ride to the parts store. This was a SMART girl. She
immediately begged off to go call her Dad. It took me a moment to figure out
what was going on, until my wife clued me in. NEVER GET IN THE CAR WITH A
STRANGER!
So my wife and I went to the parts store while the girl was calling and
bought the last set of points in stock. I didn't have a timing light with me
so I bought a cheap feeler gauge and by the time we got back she was waiting
at the bus. I put the points in and she started it but absolutely no
improvement. I fiddled with the points but no luck. Then I noticed that the
idle air bypass valve supply hose from the air intake boot to the valve had
a cracked and broken elbow at the valve, leaving the hose to hang free.
That's a lot of air to bypass the AFM. Then out of curiosity I checked the
oil. The bottom of the dipstick was definitely wet, and if I had to guess I
would say that she was at least three quarts low.
I asked the girl if she had ever checked the oil. She said that she knew it
was probably low. Hmmm, I asked her if the oil light had ever come on. She
said yes, it came on during the eight hour trip up to school two weeks ago,
but it went out after a while, so she didn't stop.
At this point my wife volunteered that while I had my head in the engine
compartment holding the throttle to keep it running it was blowing
voluminous clouds of smoke. I asked her what colour and she said, dark.
Driving a bus should be a carefully considered and educated decision. I have
referred the girl and her father to our local ASE Master Mechanic.
In retrospect, I see it could have been much worse for her, and I am very
very very grateful that I had the opportunity to help.
Tom and Dana Cates
Asheville, NC
83 Air-cooled Westfalia, 'Hammurabi'
http://www.fullmoonbusclub.com/
A.I.R.S.
