Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2001 13:27:31 -0700
Reply-To: Blake Thornton <thornton@MATH.UTAH.EDU>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Blake Thornton <thornton@MATH.UTAH.EDU>
Subject: 84 Still dying!
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Well, I've done almost everything now and I'm getting close to giving up.
First, let me summarize what is happening again:
While driving, van "almost" dies. By this, I mean the rpms drop to about
500-700 (no tach) and I get NO response from the throttle. While many of
the suggestions made are quite good (and all are appreciated!), it seems
most people are not fully understanding that I get NO response from the
throttle. When this is going on and I'm in the engine compartment and I
play with the throttle, I can hear the flapper in the AFM moving, but
still NOTHING happens.
Then, usually (but not always), if I turn off the van, and then back on,
everything is immediately back to normal. If its not back to normal
immediately, I can usually wait a few minutes and then turn my van back on
and it runs again.
I'm 99% sure it is an electrical problem, but dont' really know how to
find it.
I remember I had a slight wiring snafu a couple years agoe with the
harness touching the muffler. I suspected that the mechanic just taped
over some problems so yesterday I opened up the wires and it looked like
only the casing got melted (all the wires "looked" fine). I then tugged
and wiggled each wire both when running good and when running wierd as
above. In both cases, wiggling these wires did nothing. So, I figured
that the wires are probably fine in this location.
I also put in a "new" (used) ECU and that didn't change anything either.
I'm running out of things to try. I'm going to call my mechanic and maybe
take in in, but I can't imagine he will have any other ideas.
Let me list again the things I've now done to date, including the dates.
- temp II sensor is quite new (replaced 8/01)
- new ignition switch (12/01)
- new O2 sensor (4/01)
- new hall sender (11/01)
- cleaned all grounds in engine compartment (10/01)
- replaced AFM with a new one (possibly rebuilt?) (10/01)
- replaced throttle switches (both of them, 10/01)
- new fuel filter (7/01)
- new plug, cap, roter, wires (4/01)
- idle stabilizer (probably 1997?, but it can't be bad can it?)
I'm at a loss. I guess I need to start checking every wire, but this
worries me because the problem in intermittant - so when I check the
wires, they will probably be fine.
Blake
84 Westy
SLC UT