Date:         Tue, 19 Nov 2002 21:39:24 -0500
Reply-To:     michael szipszky <szipszkm@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         michael szipszky <szipszkm@HOTMAIL.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

recently purchased an 86 Vanagon Westafalia. I drove it from NJ to Florida
with no problems other then a dead battery on the way. I also had a buzzer
(oil) after driving for a while then getting off an exit.  This happened all
the time and I was able to stop the buzzer by bringing up the RPM'S.  Since
in florida I gave her an oil change with a new different filter and 10w40
oil then this went away.
    I have had a slow coolent leak, I think it is from the line above the
oil filter as there is coolent stains on the oil filter itself.  The guy I
bought it from gave me coolant for the trip--with Phosphate (I now know this
is a no-no) so I was adding every so often with this.
I probably added a quart through the whole trip.  My temp was at a steady--
just below the red blinking lite--almost half way.  I now know this blink is
not to keep me honest in monitoring my temp.  But I since messed with the
level sensor and it has gone away, probably corroded connection or just
poor.
     Then I was on a trip to north florida and had to add some coolant and I
figured since I had been adding just coolant I would add just water.  This
brought my temp indicator to a level just above the beginning white area in
the gauge.  Soon later a week or so my gauge read almost nothing then it
died altogether.
     I then ordered a bently from which I am now a little obsessed with.

     I Constructed resistor networks that I got off this list to test my
gauge.  (cheap substitute for VW tool) and my gauge read fine.  I replaced
the sensor and now it reads 3/4 solid. This kinda scares me a bit.

      Question#1   Is this reading normal?  Is this a "new type sensor
thing" and is there such a thing


     My other problem-which actually began before this one is that the van
was ideling strange kinda like looping--I have no RPM gauge but it would sit
for a while the rev up smooth and slow and then back down.  I  pulled the
IDLE control Unit and it seemed to Idle much more steady.  I drove it like
this for a bit.

     Question #2 IS that Bad?

    Now since I have been doing some reading up a bit I realized that the
throttle control switch does not always come back after full open--I had to
kinda snap it a bit (the gas pedal) and it would find it's idle.

    Question #3 Is the replacement painful or something I would not want to
attempt myself?

    Then van now has taken on a more incapacitating problem.  I start it up
and it drives fine--then all of a sudden I step on the gas and nothing
happens then it goes like a banchie surging--when I get it up to a steady
speed 65 or so it is sometimes fine but then "when it is doing it"  it
really lacks some power.  This problem at Idle shows itself by acting like I
am reving the engine erradicly however I am not.  And then sometimes it will
be at a higher then normal Idle and I will step on the gas just a bit and
the engine will cut out.  It really never stalls.  One other thing I noticed
is that once when this happened--the worst occurance-I shut the van off and
went to restart and it started up much quicker then it had before at the
instant I turned the key it cranked where as it usually takes about 3/4 of a
second.

   I would really appreciated any input into this prob.  This is my first
van, my first post, and my first problem.  I will report all my
findings/tests to the list.

   I also have this apparatus by the carbon canister that has 3 lines off of
it, one I think is supposed to go somewhere near under the air filter
housing?  What is this thing?  Also the line that bends off my pressuure
regulator is pretty chaffed from rubbing on the dist. cap housing.  Is this
a very important line?

   THIS VANS last trip was from NJ to Costa Rica and shippe dback to the
states.  Since then it has had belts and a water pump.  I also took a peek
in the AFM thinking it would look like a beach but it was exceptionally
clean no particulate. I also replaced the engine ground strap in left engine
compartment with 2 inch strap.

Sorry to be so lenthy but I figured the whole story my shed some light.
Thanks and thanks for the list.
MIKE ZIP
Szipszkm@hotmail.com



_________________________________________________________________
MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE*
http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus