Date:         Thu, 21 Mar 2002 18:17:53 -0400
Reply-To:     Matt Sutton <msutts@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Matt Sutton <msutts@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      88 Newbie makes trouble for self
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Hi Folks,
    First: I've only been on the list for about 10 days, and have been
greatly enjoying it.
    I've just ordered many parts from Bus Depot, and will do my first tune
up when they arrive. In the mean time though, I'm wrestling with the Bently
and trying to grasp VW logic. Here's what's been happening so far:
    -At purchase, dash coolant gauge inoperative. Light flashes at start up,
but still trying to establish test points and parameters with a new sender
on the way.
    - Seller tells me idle stabilizer valve is suspect, and ordered one for
me.  In the meantime, I set the idle at around 900 following the Bently
procedure as best I could (It is pretty unsteady at that RPM, though) With
the stabilizer valve and all else reconnected, it cold-starts at 2K and
drifts down to the RPM I'd set. Maybe the ISV is ok after all?
    - the troubles start once it warms up. Greasy black matter coming with
the exhaust, fumes that make my eyes burn.  I've done some highway 4th-gear
running with it and while there's plenty of speed/power, there's also plenty
of smoke. That part in particular gives me the willies. I pulled the oxygen
sensor today and it was caked with soot. There is another on the way, but
I'm afraid of destroying it. Fuel economy is very poor.
    -the good news: as far as I can tell, it is retaining coolant and oil.
It also starts like a dream.
    Maybe I should say this, too: My last car was a 78 ford fairmount, truly
amazing vehicle that I kept running for 12 years, and this new fangled fuel
injection is mystifying me.  Is the ECU you all speak of the same thing as
the "Digifant Control unit" which seems to have sensors in every part of the
engine? Am I right in thinking that if any one of those sensors goes, or
provides misleading info, performance goes down the tubes?
    You can see where I'm going with this, perhaps.  I am willing to put the
time in, but need it to count for something besides character building.  Is
there anything I can do before the tune up that will make the tune-up worth
it?
    New cap, rotor, plugs, cables. New airfilter, oil change (20w/50) with
filter. These will happen in one fell swoop, hopefully. Should I make sure
the coolant temp sender is straightened out first? Should I replace the
oxygen sensor after I'm on the right track, to keep from destroying a very
expensive part?
    Thanks to all who responded to my initial inquiry, and to any who can
provide ideas, mind-set adjustments, etc., in response to this one.
                                        -Matt Sutton