Date:         Sat, 4 Jan 2003 19:54:36 -0500
Reply-To:     Deborah Walters <debbwa@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Deborah Walters <debbwa@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      ignition? injection?
In-Reply-To:  <200301040955.18uSww3vN3NZFnx0@emu>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Hi,

Just as I was gloating over not having to make any van repairs in the past 6
- 8 weeks, Gypsy ('85 w/1.9L engine) is disabled again.

Yesterday and this morning she would not start when hot (after driving 2-3
miles then stopping at the post office yesterday and to get gas today).  She
was turning over, and over, and over.  Seemed to me like she was out of gas,
so thinking there might be a problem with my gas guage I went to get a can
of gas yesterday and she started after I put it in.  She had cooled for
about an hour.  Today, I disconnected and reconnected the spark plug and
coil wires on the distributor cap, and she started (cooling time about 15
minutes).

Soooo, thinking the distributor cap was the problem I replaced it and the
rotor today (they were both pretty corroded).  She started right up, I drove
her about 20 miles, and when I parked I restarted her to make sure she
would, and she did.

Then, after sitting for 3 hours I drove home and she bucked now and then on
the Interstate, and eventually I lost power - from traffic lights I could
not get up to more than 1-2 MPH in first gear, would go just a little faster
in 2nd, and then all of a sudden she would just take off.  I also got the
impression of something holding us back  (I checked to make sure the brake
was off), and when I got home, she was smoking from the engine, but I could
not locate the source.

I had the loss of power problem several months ago, and cured it by changing
the air and fuel filters.

This afternoon I checked the resistance on the coil,  and the cable from
coil to distributor,  and the voltage on the Idle stabilizer control and the
Hall control unit, and started the van with the idle stabilizer cables
connected together - still had the problem.  Then it got dark and cold, so
continuing tomorrow.

Any thoughts?  Should I be concentrating more on the injection system than
the ignition system?  The last time I started the van (which is when the
idle stabilizer cables were connected together) she ran for about three
sputters, than stalled, and then would not restart.

Thanks a lot for any advice you can share!

deb
'85 Westy "Gypsy"
Orlando, FL