Vanagon EuroVan
Previous messageNext messagePrevious in topicNext in topicPrevious by same authorNext by same authorPrevious page (September 2001, week 3)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Wed, 19 Sep 2001 08:48:45 -0700
Reply-To:     Charles McGehee <chasm@ELLTEL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Charles McGehee <chasm@ELLTEL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Idle Stabilizer
Comments: To: John Clavin <jc@AUSTIN.RR.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <5.1.0.14.2.20010918173517.00a6b860@pop3.norton.antivirus>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

Somewhere eastbound on the South Dakota prarie I started to get such surging on idle as you report. A mechanic in Iowa City diagnosed it as a bad fuel pressure regulator which I then replaced. Nothing changed. When I got home to Washington state, one mechanic was dumbfounded, but another diagnosed it as the idle stabilizer -- which was missing! I had been driving for many moons without one, how many I don't know. My '85 had c. 170k on it at the time. A PO had taken it out. Still, the new mechanic found a used one for $20, put it in, and I've had no trouble since. I've no idea why it ran well without one and what caused it to start acting up.

That's my story.

Charles '85 Westy

At 05:54 PM 9/18/01 -0500, John Clavin wrote: >Well, my continuing quest to eliminate the stumbling on my 85 Vanagon GL >(270,000 mi) has led me this week to the idle stabilizer. A new round of >problems with intermittent stumbling has reoccurred after several weeks of >too-good-to-be-true driveability. > >The latest is accompanied by wild jumps in the tach even when the engine >appears to be idling or running correctly. Also occurring are some brief >periods of unexplained refusals to start which then mysteriously and >suddenly end. When leaving work today, I had another episode of >not-starting and decided to bypass the idle stabilizer. Not only did the >vanagon start, it seems to run better than ever, except for a tendency to >want to stall if I don't nurse the gas a little at idle. > >So, my questions are: > >What is inside the idle stabilizer? Has anybody opened one or tried to >repair it? Seems to me a worthwhile diversion while waiting for a new one. >Any clues on how to proceed welcome. I am assuming it has a circuit board >which I can expose by cutting the top off around the base. > >Is there any problem to just leave it off the vehicle while waiting for a >new one? I can live with the poor idle. > >What is the right P/N? Mine says it is P/N 321 906 083, but the list >vendors show it as 251 906 083. (Could be they changed numbers. The one >currently on my vehicle was put on by the dealer circa 1985 under warranty). > >Thanks in advance, >John Clavin >


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.