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Date:         Thu, 21 Feb 2002 12:28:21 -0500
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: [vanagon] Common problems with Vanagons
Comments: To: "Dr. Rainer Woitok" <Rainer.Woitok@rrze.uni-erlangen.de>
Comments: cc: VW4X4@FYI.NET, "Syncro@yahoogroups.com" <Syncro@yahoogroups.com>,
          "vanagon@yahoogroups.com" <vanagon@yahoogroups.com>
In-Reply-To:  <iss.2b01.3c74b990.eeaa5.1@max5.rrze.uni-erlangen.de>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

My definition of a common problem (for this purpose) is one that I've either heard about or written about over and over on the list -- that means to me that the problem is common *relative to other problems* on these same vehicles. Vanagons are all getting old and many of the problems show up at high mileages -- in that sense they're not common. But in a Vgon with 150,000 miles (250.000 kilometres) such things become much more likely. With this list we have a population of close to a thousand vehicles for a sample base.

At 04:10 AM 2/21/2002, Dr. Rainer Woitok wrote: >David and Others, > >Whoa! Easy! Before everybody now starts throwing in things that failed >on their Syncros, please consider that the subject line says "Common >problems". This is not going to become a list of _ALL_ the parts that >could break ... such a list is already existing, it's normally called >ETKA :-) > >So, before we start a list of common problems we're in need of a sober >definition of what "common" should refer to. How often is a part >allowed to fail in what time in how many miles on how many Syncros (or >Vanagons) before it is called a "common" problem part? > >And we also have to consider that there may be regionally different >lists of common problem parts. Just as an example: the dreaded head >gaskets failure,

This is of course a misnomer, since there's nothing particularly wrong with the gasket -- it's the corroded pits in the sealing surfaces that cause the trouble.

>which probably most US based Vanagon owners would call >a common Vanagon problem, are not regarded a common Vanagon problem over >here in Germany. Same holds for the famous capacitor between the air >flow meter connector pins: almost unknown of over here.

Interesting -- on N of one, my Westy which spent one summer in Germany and the rest of its 85,000 miles in Scotland, had dripping heads when it came to the US. And I personally experienced the AFM hesitation syndrome while driving down Scottish highways in it, long before I'd heard of either the syndrome or this list. And while I'm thinking of it, at that same 85,000 miles the transmission was replaced in Scotland because what I now know is the 3-4 synchro cracking problem (the VW dealer in Arbroath hadn't a clue other than "it's busted, swap in a VW rebuilt" for which my sister paid a sum in GBP I shudder to think of).

Which reminds me:

Stabilizer bar failure (bolt-end breaks off) Instrument panel -- plastic becomes brittle and falls apart around stress points like mounting screws. Cigarette lighter -- loose in dash Non-power side mirrors -- socket pulls out of mirror (I forget the detail, but it's fixable by cross-drilling and inserting a hard pin). This is really a secondary failure caused by insufficient bearing surface on the swivel, which requires the swivel to be overtightened to prevent the mirrors blowing flat against the vehicle at highway speeds. Early slide windows -- glued bearing pieces fall out. Later ones are crimped in somehow. Clutch chatter License-plate lights -- rust out internally. Rubber elbow between airbox and throttle housing cracks 1.9l -- spring clip holding airbox to side of compartment wears through the plastic ears Rear side-marker lights -- color fades to pale pink where it's heated by the lamp.

>So again: when should we start to call a Vanagon problem "common"?

-- David Beierl - Providence, RI http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/ '84 Westy "Dutiful Passage" '85 GL "Poor Relation"


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