Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2000 05:14:01 -0400
Reply-To: John <johnpatt@WARWICK.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John <johnpatt@WARWICK.NET>
Organization: PattonSystems International
Subject: Re: woe is me
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
HERMANN DE BOER wrote:
>
> I am in shock!!!!!
> Just got of the phone with my mechanic:
Hi Hermann,
I sympathize with your lament as I have 3 Vanagons and it always seems
that one of them needs $$$$. However there never seems to be an end to
list members whining about how costly Vanagon ownership is. The Vanagon
has been out of production for almost 10 years now and the majority of
them now have an excess of 100,000 miles. I doubt that VW expected the
Vanagon to go much farther without major mechanical repairs. Why do the
whiners on the list expect Vanagons to deliver reliable service at high
mileage without needing repairs?
From what I've read the Vanagon reputation has been damaged by the
following:
1) Lack of regular, professional maintenance. Changing the
engine oil does NOT constitute a complete "maintenance"
service!
2) Poor owner judgement regarding repairs. Replacing one piece
of hose or fuel line when they are all the same age is asking for
it!
3) Repairs & service performed by incompetent jackasses disguised as
imported car "experts".
So I would suggest that you do the following:
1) Establish a comprehensive maintenance & inspection program
that includes regular cable tugging, cooling system pressure
testing and most important, visual inspections of all systems
especially the under vehicle components. Minor inspection every
5K, MAJOR every 15K.
2) Perform repairs for the long haul. Your vehicle 13 years old with
a gazillion miles. When dismantled for a speciflc
repair-replace EVERYTHING accessible that might cause another
failure.
3) Do your own repair work unless you know and trust your
technician 100%! Many of the VW techs I've encountered never went
to VW Vanagon factory training, used guesswork instead of sound
technical data and when the Vanagon repair went "sour", they
condemmed the Vanagon as poorly designed.
Hermann I could have most any car I want and me and my Vanagon(s) will
grow old together! I have garnered all the special tools & technical
data needed and I will follow my own advice and my Vanagon(s) will be as
reliable as any other vehicle. Consider yourself fortunate to have a
unique vehicle like a Vanagon. You'd really have something to whine
about if you were locked into a 3 year lease on a piece of crap like a
Dawoo!!!!
Regards, John
