Date: Mon, 6 May 2002 14:00:00 -0600
Reply-To: dts@XMISSION.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Damian Shaw <dts@XMISSION.COM>
Subject: Re: stalling situation
In-Reply-To: <E174nJF-0006hq-00@mgr2.xmission.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Jason,
I used to have this EXACT issue with my 87. In fact I think a lot of / all
Digifant Vanagons have this problem. Not everyone knows what it is; here's the
deal:
It's your throttle switch. VW have a really stupid setup on the throttle
switch where they use it for both the idle and full throttle (they have a
little plastic cam on the throttle shaft that facilitates this). It's your
idle setting that's off. You can try adjusting it; but you'll probably find it
is hypersensitive to adjustments and if it's wrong you'll be unhappy with the
results.
I found, and years ago posted a big message to this list on my findings, that
the problem on my van was a misaligned switch due to a worn throttle shaft.
(The shaft that the butterfly turns on.) The holes the shaft went through the
throttle body on became elongated over time and thus made it impossible to get
the idle setting correct. This took me FOREVER to find and fix. I adjusted
those throttle switch setting a million times and more. It was very very
frustrating. BUT, once I realized there was play in the actual throttle shaft,
I took the throttle body off, wrapped the shaft in teflon tape where it went
through the throttle body, put it all back together and PRESTO: MUCH easier to
adjust and it stayed in adjustment. Performance right after cold start was
fine.
The elongation of the throttle body holes only has to be a tiny little bit to
cause this because VW's spec for the idle switch is so fine itself. So to
check just wiggle your throttle shaft when it's at idle and see if you can move
it. If I remember right mine didn't move as bad at full throttle - so compare
the two and see if there's a difference. If so, pull that throttle body
and 'rebuild' that shaft. (It's not very hard to do).
What I found was, before I fixed the throttle body, that when adjusting the
idle switch setting it would appear right and then not. I'd set the switch,
swing the throttle to full and let it go back to idle, and then test the switch
again. Sometimes the switch would be right, sometimes not. Swinging to only
1/2 throttle and back to idle also produced different results...
Anyway, I'm rambling but if my years of frustration with that can save someone
else I'll be very happy to hear it!
Good luck with it - email me privately if you find it works, I'd like to know
about it.
Damian
ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
-----------------
<html><div style='background-color:'><DIV>hi everybody,</DIV>
<DIV>for the last three years now i have have had this interesting stalling
problem. it has never been anything that worried me too much but i
thought i would throw it out here for some advice.</DIV>
<DIV>i always warm up my 90 gl before driving. let's say first warm up
about five minutes (winter time ten minutes) and every other time throughout
the day about 1-2 minutes. well, for some reason if i go to work and i
have been there about 10 hours i will start my van and give her about
3 minutes. i put her in reverse and back up. as soon
i back up and come to a stop to go forward, the idle goes way down and she
wants to stall out unless i give her a little gas. even if i give her
some gas it takes a few more minutes before everything is cool, or warm i
should say. once i start driving, everything is fine-no more
stalling. this only happens after intila driving. if i do let her
stall and i restart, it takes a long time for her to engage from turning over,
not good.</DIV>
<DIV>could this be not warming up long enough? i understand that you
should always warm these vans up, and i do, but how much is too much? i
hate to leave her idling for too long.</DIV>
<DIV>could injectors be suspected? they are original and have 190,000 on
them. i run cleaner through them but is it possible they are old and
require more time to warm up?</DIV>
<DIV>could afm be at fault? again original equipment. i do have capacitor
fix wiring harness.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>other varibales:</DIV>
<DIV>engine rebuilt 15,000 miles</DIV>
<DIV>i live in montana at 3200 feet. i work at 4600 feet. altitude?
</DIV>
<DIV>timing is set according to bentley specs</DIV>
<DIV>fuel mixture is set according to specs</DIV>
<DIV>what about grounds? these are a pretty silly design by vw</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>thanks to advice</DIV>
<DIV>jason</DIV>
<DIV>90gl</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></div><br clear=all><hr>Chat with friends online, try MSN
Messenger: <a href='http://g.msn.com/1HM105401/43'>Click Here</a><br></html>
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