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Date:         Sun, 23 Feb 2003 09:20:53 -0500
Reply-To:     Gary McEachern <GlmceN@NETSCAPE.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Gary McEachern <GlmceN@NETSCAPE.NET>
Subject:      Re: Uncle... '91 won't catch
Comments: To: Mark Belanger <belanger@FLUID.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Spark, fuel injection and fuel pressure are what I would initially confirm.

1.) SPARK Remove an ignition wire from one of the plugs and insert a spare spark plug into it. Ground the plug and crank the engine while monitoring the plug for spark.

2.) FUEL INJECTION Crank the engine and monitor for a pulsing voltage (12V) at the injectors. I use a small 12V automotive troubleshooting light to do this.

3.) FUEL PRESSURE You stated you confirmed fuel pressure. I assume you monitored fuel pressure at the fuel line "tee" to the right of the distributor? Fuel pump operation and gas in the tank doesn't assure you have fuel pressure! Fuel pressure should be around 35-40 psi.

If one of these are bad... troubleshoot the cause.

If all three of these test OK, I would next check the T2 sensor for proper resistance. This sensor is notorious for failing!

Gary

Mark Belanger <belanger@FLUID.COM> wrote:

>Greetings all, > >After scouring Gerry and trying to digest about a million messages with >the topic of "won't start," pouring through Haynes and Bentley, I'm at a >loss. > >Here's the scenario: >I have a '91 Automatic, originally from Florida that I picked up about 6 >months ago in California. She's always purred(apart from a month of >cold stalls, but that went away). About a week ago, I was driving back >from work had gone about 5 blocks when she just died at a light and >wouldn't start. Plenty of juice and the starter cranked, but she >wouldn't catch. It was raining early that day, so I chalked it up to >some electrical problem, but after a week in a dry garage, she's still dead. > >Here are the things checked and/or replaced: >- Fuel: half a tank >- Battery: removed and fully charged >- Battery contacts cleaned and greased >- New cap, rotors, wires >- New plugs - old ones looked very clean >- Checked coil resistance per Bentley >- Checked voltage coming off Hall wiring connector per Bentley >- Checked air flow meter resistance per Haynes >- Checked fuel relay on ignition - clicks >- Checked fuel pump on ignition - pressurizes >- Checked and cleaned two ground bolts near coil >- Checked every visible connector within the engine - no corrosion > >Odd things: >- rotor and inside of cap *heavily* scored at contact points. > - Figured it hadn't been replaced in a while. >- Power steering pressure sensor disconnected. > - However, it was covered in grease, so it had been disconnected for a > long time. >- Wiring harness at tee near left rear lights, split with some cuts. > - Suggested the previous owner had some electrical problems that were > troubleshot. > >So none of this points to a clear culprit to me. The only remaining >tests on the ignition system listed in Bentley that I haven't done >involve the ECU, which I'm not comfortable screwing with yet. Also, >having never owned a fuel injected car before(god bless the carburetor), >I've resisted anything beyond superficial fuel system tests. > >Is anyone aware of a thorough checklist of how to troubleshoot such a >problem. I'd really like to be able to track this down myself, but am >at a loss to what to do next. > > >Thanks, >MB >

-- Gary McEachern Reading, Ma '90 Westy Subavanagon '86 Wolfy Subavanagon '87 Syncro (Son's van)

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