Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2001 17:19:03 -0700
Reply-To: Coby Smolens <cobys5@HOME.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Coby Smolens <cobys5@HOME.COM>
Subject: Re: '91 Vanagon Multivan - hard to start
In-Reply-To: <F102beUzmRf6Ci6nx8d000131ba@hotmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
You'll need a 10mm wrench (my preference is a 1/4" drive socket, 6" wobble
extension and ratchet handle) to unbolt the grounds from the engine block
and firewall, some emery cloth or sandpaper (medium grit - 120 should do), a
small, stiff wire brush from the plumbing section in the hardware store and
I like to use a preservative penetrant like Zepreserve, but WD40 or the like
will work just fine. The grounds are to be found on the left side of the
engine compartment, originating below the ignition coil where they're bolted
to the engine compartment wall, and terminating at the engine block - just
follow the wires. If you have AC, you'll need a penlight to see where they
connect to the block below the AC compressor. Unbolt, sand, brush, scrub
terminal ends, bolts, block surface where the bolts screw in, and wall
surface where the originating ends connect to the engine compartment wall.
Make sure about this last bit - the engine compartment wall is painted and
is not a good conductor by itself. Originally, the builder relied on the
shiny metal of the bolt to conduct current to the threads of the captive
nuts attached to the engine compartment wall, but guess what? Those threads
are directly above the rear tire in the wheel well, and are susceptible to
the ravages of water being flung around this space at high speed in the
rain, and then dirt likes to cake on the wheel well inner surfaces, acting
as an absorber for moisture which is held right around the grounding bolts.
I like to get the mounting surface under the ground wire ends on the engine
compartment wall down to bright metal, bolt the shiny cable ends on and hit
the whole cluster with a good quality high-adhesive spray grease (I use Zep
2000, but some wheel bearing grease or battery terminal corrosion inhibitor
will work just as well). Have Fun!
Coby Smolens
Valley Wagonworks
VW Bus and Vanagon Specialists
"Intimately acquainted with VW Vans since 1959"
1535 SF Drake Blvd, San Anselmo, CA 94960
415-457-5628
-----Original Message-----
From: Gavin Murgatroyd [mailto:elgavino@hotmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 23, 2001 2:14 PM
To: cobys5@home.com
Subject: RE: '91 Vanagon Multivan - hard to start
Thanks so much Coby, I will try this. Any suggestions on what to clean the
grounds with? i.e. any special cleaning product or just a rag?
Thanks again!
>From: "Coby Smolens" <cobys5@home.com>
>To: "Gavin Murgatroyd" <elgavino@HOTMAIL.COM>, <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>Subject: RE: '91 Vanagon Multivan - hard to start
>Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2001 12:54:03 -0700
>
>Sounds like a ground or temp sensor problem. Next time it's reluctant to
>start, stop cranking before it starts and go have a sniff at the tailpipe.
>You may find that it smells a lot like raw gasoline, that it's actually
>flooding. It might be a good idea to clean all the engine compartment
>grounds (at both cable terminal ends as well as the surface they attach to.
>If that doesn't make any difference, I'd replace the T2 sensor (blue
>harness
>plug at left front of engine attached to a blue sensor which pushes into a
>black plastic housing from the left side. This housing is attached to the
>forward and of the left hand cylinder head). Undo the harness plug by
>pushing in the wire clip and pulling off, then remove a metal clip which
>fits through a slot in the housing and pull the sensor out to the side.
>Have
>a new one on hand complete with o-ring ready to pop back in. Coolant will
>run out when you remove the sensor, so do the work with a cold engine, have
>a pan underneath to catch the coolant you miss.
>
>(It is an infallible law of mechanics, right up there with "cars need
>parts"
>and "get all bolts started BEFORE tightening" that "if there is no drain
>pan
>under the plug it cannot be reinstalled without falling out of the
>technician's hand at least once, thereby allowing most of the liquid in the
>system in question to pour out onto the tech's hand, rendering it so
>slippery that the plug can no longer be held, thereby allowing the
>remaining
>fluid to pour out onto the ground". I'd appreciate a simpler, more elegant
>and compact way of phrasing this - if anyone can come up with one, we'll
>name the law after them and publish it on our new web site (not yet in
>service - coming very soon - I promise)!
>
>T2 sensor part #: 025 906 041A
>T2 sensor O-ring part #: N 903 168 02
>ZVW 237 104 VW Coolant Number (in case you're a victim of the 3rd Law of
>Mechanics described above - you should have some around in any case...)
>
>Coby Smolens
>Valley Wagonworks
>VW Bus and Vanagon Specialists
>"Intimately acquainted with VW Vans since 1959"
>
>1535 SF Drake Blvd, San Anselmo, CA 94960
>415-457-5628
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM]On Behalf
>Of Gavin Murgatroyd
>Sent: Thursday, August 23, 2001 8:59 AM
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: '91 Vanagon Multivan - hard to start
>
>
>hello all, I just purchased my '91 Vanagon Multivan and obviously just love
>it. There are however a couple of things that need attending to. First,
>is
>this hard to start thing. If I have not driven/started the van for 3-5
>days
>then it very hard to start. I turn the key over and I can hear what I
>think
>is the fuel pump and then I turn it further to get the starter going. The
>starter fires up but the engine won't start. It is almost as though it is
>not getting fuel. I did have luck one time where I pumped the gas pedal 3
>times before starting and it worked fine. The other interesting part is
>that if the van is warm, ie. on a trip, it starts like magic... it seems to
>be an issue after it has been sitting for a few days. Anyone had this
>issue?
>
>murgy.
>
>_________________________________________________________________
>Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp
>
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp
| 
