Date:         Thu, 26 Sep 2002 00:51:32 EDT
Reply-To:     KimBrennan@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Kim Brennan <KimBrennan@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: A few unrelated questions
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"

In a message dated 9/25/02 8:00:12 PM, danoer1@ECLIPSE.NET writes:

> 
> 3rd Question: Could some of this be due to the idle stablizer?  Is it 
> really
> supposed to vibrate all of the time?  I don't think mine vibrates 100% of
> the time.  Ken has a new one for $190, but $190 ???  Wow.
> 
> 
Wow?! Yes. Wow. The Idle stablizer control unit (relay) is similarly 
expensive. 

> 4th Question:  In somewhat colder climates (New Jersey for me) dfo you all
> run 20 -50 W oil all year round?  I had been switching to 10-30 during the
> winter and then back to 20-50 during the warmer weather... any thoughts??
> 
> 
Unless you are in the mountains in NW New Jersey, you probably aren't getting 
near enough to cold tempatures to justify switching to 10w30. 20w50 should be 
fine for you year round, unless we get a cold snap in the single digits for a 
week or more. But, if you haven't been getting any oil pressure warnings, you 
probably are okay.

> 5th Question:  I have a clicking noise that happens from time to time (my
> wife usually drives the van and I have only heard it briefly).  It comes
> from the rear passenger side wheel area.  I have jacked the van up, put it
> in neutral and spun the tire... no noise.  I thought it might be the CV
> joint at first but would this only click on turns?  Maybe something in the
> rear brake shoes is hitting /scraping at times?  I did notice that there is
> a little play in the wheel when I grab it at 12 and 6 o'clock.  How much
> play should there be?  If too much is it the bearings??
> 
Sounds like a CV joint. Check for a torn boot both on the inner and outer CV 
joints. (and for the other poster that reported a similar situation yours 
might be the left outer, but no guarantees.) Not a terrible job to do, just 
messy.