Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2001 19:19:36 -0000
Reply-To: Mike Finkbiner <mike_l_f@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mike Finkbiner <mike_l_f@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Engine Cutting Out at Highway Speed
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
Volks-
I just sent in a long post about concerns with my recently installed
re-built engine. Another problem that has cropped up is certainly not
related to the engine itself, but to the control systems, so I am posting
this separately.
Last fall I had an episode where I was driving down the road, and the engine
just cut out for an eyeblink. It did that several times one afternoon. I
noticed once that the tach needle dropped a lot, but each time it was too
brief to look at the gauges or the digitool readings.
Joel Walker and another helpful soul suggested that the ECU might be
grounding against the bolt on the westy back seat, so I taped over that. It
happened once more, and then not again over the winter.
After I put my new engine in, I put about 800 miles on with no cutting out
problems. In the last month, however, on a couple of short road trips, it
has happened several times.
In both cases I drove 60 miles in the morning with no problems, and then in
the evening coming back, I had three or four episodes where for an eyeblink,
the engine cut out. Yesterday I was driving with my lights on, and noticed
that when it happened, the digitool lights would go off, and the tach needle
would drop a lot. The dash lights and radio stayed on.
With the engine running I have tried -
tapping on the case the ecu is mounted in with a hammer
wiggling the wire connector to the ecu
wiggling all of the wires and connections I could find in the engine
compartment
vigorously moving the key in the ignition
Ran fine.
I am considering -
Only driving in the morning
Replacing the ECU with my spare (unfortunately not set up to connect to the
digitool)
Finding more connections to wiggle
It doesn't look like it's the main power system, or the dashboard lights and
radio would have cut off. Last year I went through all of the grounds I
could find, cleaned the connections and applied connector grease, so it
could be a ground problem, but I don't think so.
Is there a relay I should check?
Any other suggestions?
- Mike Finkbiner
'87 Westy
Moscow, Idaho
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