Date:         Sat, 17 Nov 2001 11:52:19 -0800
Reply-To:     mike miller <mwmiller@CWNET.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         mike miller <mwmiller@CWNET.COM>
Subject:      Van Gremlins
In-Reply-To:  <RELAY3n0TqFhSERG3pi00001326@relay3.softcomca.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Volks,

My son and I took the 85 Westy on a trip.  Many times it has kind of
hesitated at about 100 miles, then it smooths out and is fine.

This time it started at 50 miles and got worse.  Had to go down a gear lower
than usual to get up the mountains.  Stopped for dinner and it wouldn't
start afterward.  Starter spun it very well, no fire at all.

Checked for spark and it was weak but there.  Fuel pump made it noise on
turning the key.  Tried it several more times, nothing, no effort to kick
over at all.

Had a spare coil [Bosche from the last episode of missing which turned out
to be plugs wires] plugged it in, much better spark, no help with starting.

Tried spraying carb cleaner into the intake [removed the air filter]
nothing.  Spent the night in the parking lot.  Started the next morning ran
like a tank until it ran out of gas 10 miles from home.  Put gas in and it
started and ran fine.  Got home and then tried to start it and it did the
same no fire at all trick that it did at the restaurant the night before.

My son's guess was that the first coil was bad [new Bosche] and when we put
the old coil in the engine was flooded from the earlier tries to start it.

But that doesn't explain why it's doing it again.  He still thinks fuel
delivery problems, my guess is gremlins.

Anybody else got an idea.