Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2002 16:40:48 -0600
Reply-To: Dave Baker <DBAKER5@KC.RR.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dave Baker <DBAKER5@KC.RR.COM>
Subject: One Step Forward, One Backward
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Today I replaced the propane bottle on my bernzamatic with a mapp cannister.
Got under the van and heated the fitting where the oxygen sensor fits until
it was pretty darned hot. I won't say red hot, but it was close. Then I
put a 14 inch pipe wrench on that puppy and slid a four foot length of steel
pipe over the handle of the wrench and pulled for all I was worth. And...
whaddyaknow... It started to turn. A little more effort and it was out and
the new one was in.
This having been accomplished, I turned my attention to the idle switch
problem. Up until now, I thought the idle switch went to a connector
fastened atop the right head. When it was working, some time ago, I
unplugged this and put an ohmmeter across it and was able to see it go from
open to short when the throttle returned to idle position. Most recently, I
measured an open circuit here and was unable to get the switch to a position
where it closed. My assumption was the idle switch had finally definitely
gone bye-byes and that may be part of the problem with my irregular idle
(idle hunting, as it were).
Today, fresh from my success with the oxygen sensor, I put a jumper across
the plug that plugs into the idle switch thinking that would simulate a
closed switch. Well, it may have, because the idle smoothed out, although
it was just barely running (I had also bypassed the idle stabilizer box).
Next thing I know, I've got all kinds of smoke coming from burning
insulation on the idle switch plug and on a ground wire going to the left
head. Hmmm.... I removed the short on the plug and the smoke went away
almost instantly. I think (I hope) the wire is still serviceable.
So, the questions for today are: 1) Is that REALLY the connector for the
idle switch? 2) Does the idle switch REALLY put a short across those two
terminals? And 3) if the answer to the first two questions is affirmative,
how the hell did I get so much juice into that wire to melt the insulation?
Any ideas out there from you vanagon wizards?
Dave in KC
85 Westy
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