Date:         Thu, 20 Feb 2003 21:14:34 EST
Reply-To:     DANJNOLL@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dan Noll <DANJNOLL@AOL.COM>
Subject:      86 gl just died
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

hello again
My 86 auto just died and won't start...
The story:
         My battery and  o2 lights have steady required more and more rpm to
extinguish and begin charging, it had gotten to the point that it took reving
the engine up 4k to get the charge going. I thought it wasnt a big deal and
attributed it to the cooling weather in california and then I moved to PA
where it is really cold. Last night the lights went out and stayed out. At
work I discoverd that the blue wire was broken off the alternator (thin small
wire).   So when I got home I put a new connector on it and was reving the
engine (but the lights wouldn't go out) and then the it starrted to die on
me. I would rev it up and when the idle swithc kicked in it would hold a
second then die.. after 3 times doing this, it died  and won't start.
It gets gas but no spark.

1. Bently tells me I have a bad alternator... no surprise I got this a yaer
ago at my FLAPS.

2. The dieing I belive is unrelarted as I have had this happen and innitally
attributed it to moisture...   replaced  ISV , and the ISCU but still had
intermitant dieing when  letting off the accaerator and returning to Idle.
3. Last nght I bought a new coil, reseated ISCU and still no spark.
4. Tonight I went through bently and tested the connection at the hall
sender, bently  28 say the wire harness should be good and 2 outside pins
read min of 10 volts with ignition key on.  It read zero volts but I am not
sure what to check on the wireing harness and where to check it (I understand
that if there are broken wires or bad grounds that would be a problem but
which ones are the "engine harness" bently talks about?).  I can't find any
lose or corroded ground wires.

5. The connection of hall sender is broken but the wires are in tact. My
experiances with hall senders are when they don't work it will die at any rpm
under any condition. With no volts to the connector though, I can't test it.

Conclusion: based on Bently it is the contol unit (computer under the rear
seat) provided my harness is ok.
What do I do to check the harness to make sure it is the control unit and not
something else?
What else could cause this?
 Thanks.
Dan