Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 10:29:44 -0500
Reply-To: Darrell Boehler <midwesty@midwest.net>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Darrell Boehler <midwesty@midwest.net>
Subject: Re: 1988 Vanagon loses power
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Hi Steve,
Could be the ecu. Borrow one from a friend if possible. Often the ecu will act up like yours when it has bad solder
connections. Tap gently on it and see if you can make it to fail.
Darrell
----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen Wisthoff" <swis@uswest.net>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2001 7:34 AM
Subject: 1988 Vanagon loses power
> I replaced the engine in my 1988 vanagon when it
> self-destucted at 60 mph in the middle of no-where in South
> Dakota. I was able to find a factory rebuilt engine that is
> the closeth thing I could find to new. It's a beautiful
> engine. My problem started about six months later when my
> vehicle began to lose power. It would run fine for a few
> minutes and then when I went to restart it after letting it
> sit about 10 minutes while I run into the grocery store,
> etc., I drive it a hundred yards and it starts to lose
> power. Usually when I shut of the switch and restart it, it
> runs fine -- at least for wa while. Sometimes, however, it
> is even hard to start and I've been stranded on more than
> one occasion. I've had it to three mechanics and nobody can
> figure out what it wrong. Of course, when I take it in to
> the mechanic, it acts just fine and they decide there is
> nothing wrong.
>
> Shortly after it started doing this, the mechanic diagnosed
> that I needed a new Oxygen sensor so I had that replaced.
> It still acted up. He then decided that it might be a
> ground wire that is causing it to lose power. He fixed
> that, but it continued to do it. He did a tune up with new
> plugs, etc. It still did it. When I took it to a
> dealership, they thought it might be the anti-jerk harness
> so I had it replaced. Still acts up. Most of the time when
> I am out on the highway running it at full temperature, it
> works fine. The problem is within that first 20 minutes
> after I start it from cold -- or mostly when I restart it
> when it is still fairly cool.
>
> Has anyone else had this problem and is there anything
> anyone could suggest outside of driving it off a cliff.
> It's getting frustrating! I hope to travel in it this
> summer and would like to have this resolved. I would
> appreciate any ideas.
>
> Steve Wisthoff
> 1988 Vanagon GL
>
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