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Date:         Fri, 1 Mar 2002 22:10:42 +0100
Reply-To:     Robert Steven Fish <fish@SALZBURG.CO.AT>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Robert Steven Fish <fish@SALZBURG.CO.AT>
Subject:      Never Under Estimate Your Ground Straps!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Hi all,

I posted a week or so ago about my '87 2.1 lliter GL, having all kinds of trouble with the idle. It would race and then would be "cured" for a few days by simply turning the car off. Then it went nuts, and ran at high RPM on the highway... when my foot was off the pedal. Then just always 3000 RPM... no solution except to start disconnecting components, and see if that helped a bit.

Anyway... I went a bit bonkers and found some GREAT deals on eBay for the Idle Stabilizer Valve, the Idle Stabilizer Control Unit, and the Air Flow Meter... I bought them all, seperately, and replaced the 15 year old originals.... I then started her up, and guess what...

Still idled crazy, fast, then slow... then steady fast... same old, same old.

I decided to take a detour on my idle solving project, because I really did not want to get into what I though would be the next component to replace, the throttle switch. My detour was to completely remove my beautiful air conditioning system.. I was sick of it just sitting there for years, and not working... and here in Salzburg, there are about 17 days a year where one would maybe be thankful for air. So I carefully disected the entire unit, and all related wires, tubes, relays, etc., took photos to document it (in case I find someone around here who wants to take the whole system off my hands) and washed that A/C outta my hair.

Long story short... Once I got the compressor out of the engine compartment, I was able to get a clear look at my engine block to chassis ground strap which attaches DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH the compressor. It was so green and corroded under the compressor that when I touched it to see how solid it was.. it just evaporated into thin air.

I tried something, which maybe the list members will have opinions on.. but I tried it anyway. I bought a 2 foot length of the fattest "Monster Cable" I could find, for audio speakers, and spliced on some nice ring ends, and hooked it up as a new ground strap. The cable is made of very soft fluffy copper strands, so I figured it would be just fine for a ground... it is insulated, but we will just have to see if this melts or what. (incidently, I also replaced the transmission to frame ground, with an OEM one while I was at it... the battery ground was of course in perfect condition).

I then started the car, and WOW! idle was perfect.. and stayed perfect... I let it idle for like 20 minutes because I was so amazed. Then shut it off, and started it again... perfect idle. Happiness.

So... I assume that the ECU was just going a bit cukoo receiving scrambled signals, and threw the craziest info back. I just wanted to post this, in case anyone else out there has not taken a good look at their ground straps lately! They are a real easy, and cheap replacement... and seem to make a big difference when they are trashed!

RSF

<º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{

Robert S. Fish Salzburg, Austria 1987 Wolfsburg Vanagon 2.1 GL Weekender 1987 Golf Cabriolet 1991 Golf


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