Date:         Thu, 18 Sep 2003 12:17:27 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Engine stops, then restarts itself ... sometimes
Comments: To: Scott Burchill <scott@ZOPEWORKS.US>
In-Reply-To:  <3F69AFCB.2010904@zopeworks.us>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 09:14 AM 9/18/2003, Scott Burchill wrote:
>Help!
>
>'87 Westy 192,000 miles, and climbing
>
>Engine is running.  Engine stops running, like the ignition switch is
>turned off.  All electrical for the rest of the car seems fine: all
>dashboard elec. is fine, anyway.

Tach stay or fall?  Does fuel pump run when you turn the key?

>Sorry for the long description, and Thank You, In Advance, for any
>comments, suggestions, help, etc.

Well, first you have to find out if it's spark or fuel, and then why it's
whatever it is.  If the tach stays up then you're getting primary ignition
pulses at least (not necessarily secondary).  If it drops you're
not.  Almost certain your problem is electrical, but you'll have to find
out which major system and then start tracking that down.

Get a mechanic's starter switch and attach it to the starter.  Monitor fuel
pressure or power to pump or something like.  Watch the tach, and check the
spark at the plugs when it's not starting.  This shouldn't be a very hard
problem to localize a lot closer than you have so far...

david

--
David Beierl - Providence RI USA -- http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"