Date:         Mon, 10 Feb 2003 20:24:11 -0600
Reply-To:     Larry Alofs <lalofs@ENTERACT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Larry Alofs <lalofs@ENTERACT.COM>
Subject:      Re: The Vanagon Syndrome and Outside Air Temperature
Comments: To: John Schaper <JSchaper@SCHSA.ORG>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

John Schaper wrote:
>
> I recently transplanted an 85 1.9 L into an 84 with the 84's AFM.  Driving
> Friday nite, the bucking syndrome started--air temperature around 25-30.
> Pulled over, slept, got up at 6.  Air temp 10.  The bucking and loss of
> power started again, but when the sun came up the van ran almost normal.  Is
> the "Syndrome" outside air temperature dependent?

This is an interesting question.  If I recall, the first reported
diagnosis of the "Syndrome" was by a tech in Europe somewhere and he
reported that it occurred in cold weather.  I don't remember where I
read this, but I believe  that his initial reports led VW to develop the
official "harness" fix.
  The temperature part really hits home with me because the three times
that I have encountered the problem with my "91 have all been on trips
north into Wisconsin during the winter.  I have tried Heet, etc. and it
has not helped.  The capacitor fix did seem to help considerably.
  I have never found any explanation as to why the temperature should
make any difference, however, and many people apparently don't notice
any relationship.

Larry A.
Chicago
'91 GL with 20 MFD