Date:         Thu, 22 May 2003 12:17:58 -0400
Reply-To:     SStones <sstones@IDIRECT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         SStones <sstones@IDIRECT.COM>
Subject:      Re: Need help with an electrical(?) problem, '87 Syncro
In-Reply-To:  <20030522151940.5953.qmail@web41311.mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

>My '87 Syncro just started demonstrating a severe, but
>intermittent,
>electrical problem.  On a cold start, I can drive 5-10
>miles, and the
>ignition shuts off abruptly. The tach immediately
>drops to '0' RPM,
>and the vehicle bucks to a stop until the clutch is
>depressed.

If the tach is showing 0 even though the engine is still turning, then the
problem would have to be that power is no longer present at the coil
primary, or that one of the greens from the coil is shorting to
ground.  The shorting to ground thing seems unlikely to happen in any
relation to engine temperature.

>  I
>can't get it to run longer than 2-10 seconds without
>abruptly 'shutting off', until it has 6-8 hours to
>cool to ambient
>temperature.

If, after checking for spark you determine that it has spark but still
won't run, you might want to ponder the possibility of the Temp II sender
throwing the timing way off once the engine is warm.
If you find that you have NO spark, then it's just a matter of finding out
where the electrical fault is, very possibly the ignition switch. When you
switch it from off to on (Not to start) while the problem is exhibiting
itself, do you hear the fuel pump buzz through it's two priming spins?

Hope you find it and it's an easy one.