Date:         Tue, 12 Jun 2001 20:23:26 -0700
Reply-To:     Mark Rokus <marokus@VOYAGER.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mark Rokus <marokus@VOYAGER.NET>
Subject:      Re: (no subject)
Comments: To: Unixx7@AOL.COM
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;

Stace, 
give us a general location and maybe someone on the list can guide you to a real mechanic.  In all fairness, these are a breed that requires a newsgroup like this.  I use to frequent the group for a long time and I think that I have seen about every problem that has been mentioned (short of the border patrol nightmares.  My crossings to Canada have been a pleasure).  The oil pressure alarm is common.  The switch is cheap but a bit of a bugger to get to.  My new switch is setting on the bench waiting for the patience to get to it.  As for the airflow problem, there are a number of members more capable to give you advise than I.  I use a Digitool (http://scribers.midwest.net/midwesty/vw/Vanagon/DigiFantTool/   ) when I see problems like these and can usually find them quickly. My advice is to read the list and actually try and understand the problems that are mentioned.  Maybe even save the messages that are best. Chances are likely that you will run into them and when you have already seen the answer, the problem are not so discouraging.  
Keep the faith.
Mark Rokus
'87 GL Syncro Westy
'87 GL Syncro
'86 Syncro (hanger Queen)
'81 Westy Aircooled
'82 Rabbit Diesel
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: S. Marie Arnold 
  To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM 
  Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2001 6:13 AM
  Subject: (no subject)


  Joel and everyone :), 
  Haven't been able to get any mechanic who knows anything about vanagons here. 
   Not even the VW dealer will bother with me.  Infact they don't even sell the 
  new Eurovans.  This is info. I've collected on my own and with my dad's help 
  (he is a mechanic of domestics) we are trying to learn about this van.  I am 
  almost sure it has to be in the airflow box area beacause when I unplug the 
  airflow box and try to drive it-it does the same thing it does in the rain 
  (not always in the rain but 95% of time).  But what the heck do I know-I am 
  not a mechanic nor do I play one on T.V. My van has 52,000 original miles on 
  it and it has a lot of problems.  The oil alarm keeps going off (next 
  project) and then this "airflow problem" .   Vanagon list has been my main 
  source of info on my van.  Already spent $1000 on 3 different mechanics (one 
  was a foreign car specialist) and none of them could figure out the problem.   
  It was a vanagon owner of 7 other Vanagons that told me to try and unplug the 
  airflow box to see what happens.  So I did and it replicated the problem so I 
  replaced the box and plug that goes into the box.  I don't know what to 
  think.  And apparently none of the mechanics do either.  The best thing I can 
  say is I am learning to do a lot of repairs to my van which is pretty darn 
  good for me who only knew how tho change her oil 6 months ago. 

  Stace 

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