Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2004 11:18:38 -0400
Reply-To: Joy Hecht <jhecht@ALUM.MIT.EDU>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Joy Hecht <jhecht@ALUM.MIT.EDU>
Subject: Re: whistling engines again (was RE: GET BACK ON TOPIC!)
In-Reply-To: <BD49B574.65A4%steeles@horizonview.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Thanks to all who replied on this question. The van is now at the repair
place. He's going to change the fuel filter - if that doesn't stop the
whistling, he'll go to the fuel pump.
I've looked at the info on the intermittent Vanagon syndrome. It might
possibly be that - though the one time I stopped the engine, made a phone
call or two, and then started again I still had the problem. Monday I did a
200 mile drive - I had problems the first 80 miles or so, then they went
away. The VW harness adaptor now costs $180 - the tantalum capacitor fix
sounds much cheaper! But I hope I won't need it. I think I'll print out
those webpages for my mechanic (who doesn't seem like the internet type) and
give them to him for future reference.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all I need is a fuel filter.
Joy
****************************************************************
Joy Hecht
and Matilda, 1989 Burgundy Vanagon
For musings about life and the vanadventures:
http://users.rcn.com/jhecht/gypsy
****************************************************************
:::-----Original Message-----
:::From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf
:::Of Stephen Steele
:::Sent: Thursday, August 19, 2004 1:40 AM
:::To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
:::Subject: Re: whistling engines again (was RE: GET BACK ON TOPIC!)
:::
:::Joy wrote:
:::> I talked to this same repair person... - about my now-intermittent
:::> low-power-at-high-speed problems. Naturally it started up again,
:::precluding
:::> a trip to visit my sister, and then stopped again by the time I got it
:::to
:::> Mr. Hoffman. He said there wasn't much point looking at it when it
:::wasn't
:::> acting up. But - is a whistling fuel pump likely to also be the cause
:::of my
:::> intermittent power loss? Wouldn't it be nice if I only had one thing
:::wrong,
:::> not two...
:::Yes, possibly. At higher demand the fuel pump may exhibit more signs and
:::symptoms of failure. The pump is easy to get to and to change out, why
:::not
:::try it and if it doesn't get rid of the whistling and power problem you
:::can
:::keep the old pump as a back up. Short of any evidence as to recent
:::changing
:::of the fuel filter, I would change that too.
:::> Mr. Hoffman said last time he saw an intermittent power problem at high
:::> speeds he put in what he called a "wiring harness adaptor to the air
:::flow
:::> box" and that solved the problem. Has anyone seen this solution? Of
:::course
:::> I don't know if that's where my problem lies - it's certainly at the
:::other
:::> end of the vehicle from the whistling pump.
:::Actually, the two are fairly closely related, as they both deal with
:::proper
:::fuel flow and air mixture prior to the intake manifolds. Your logic is
:::sound.
:::Now don't jump back and run away from these strange scribblings but...
:::Generally, I believe that Paul's recommended fix is for the vaunted
:::Vanagon
:::syndrome, which more often occurs at start up or slow speeds OR as
:::"bucking"
:::at higher speeds. Does your problem clear up temporarily if you turn off
:::the key and turn it back on while experiencing the lack of power? If
:::so...
:::this is The FIX.
:::The tantalum capacitor fix to the air flow modulator(AFM) has been
:::explained
:::a time or three on the List. The capacitor massages an uneven, minute,
:::electrical signal at various speeds and causes an evening out of the
:::airflow
:::volume into the intake manifold. This makes for more smooth acceleration
:::and
:::deceleration... possibly eliminating the lack of power that you are
:::experiencing.
:::A search in the archives will reveal several sites that explain it better
:::than I can. VW put out the wiring harness (expensive part that IIRCC is
:::no
:::longer available, plugs in...2-3 minutes labor) as a sanctioned fix.
:::Some
:::resourceful Listees figured out how to take the AFM apart and fix it for
:::less than $5 and an hour well spent with a box knife, the correct
:::capacitor
:::from Radio Shack, a small soldering iron and a tube of silicon caulk to
:::reseal the AFM.
:::I, successfully, did this fix to my 87 Westy last year and then had an
:::opportunity to later discover that the PO of my 91 Caravelle had paid to
:::have the plug in unit put in in it before I bought it... $BIG and I
:::could
:::have taken it off to test it on my 87 before I did the repair myself.
:::Which
:::gets me to my next advice... you might find someone with the plug in and
:::borrow it to see if it clears up your problem. If it does, you can then
:::decide if you want to have it fixed by Paul or try to find someone on the
:::List who is nearby and can effect the capacitor fix for you.
:::
:::> Thanks to everyone who has answered my questions so far, and for the
:::past
:::> six months, by the way! I'm sure even six months into this I still
:::sound
:::> like a mechanical moron - but hey, I am. No deception here! I'll
:::admit
:::> that this evening I was wondering if I should continue my travels in my
:::> little 2002 Toyota Prius that has nothing wrong with it and never
:::breaks
:::> down, and give up on Matilda. I was even trying to figure out how I
:::could
:::> get maximum stuff into a rather small car. But I'm not going to give
:::up on
:::> vanagons yet. At least I don't think I am.
:::I would like to see the kayak AND the bike strapped on that Prius and I
:::won't even go into the karma and soul issues between the two.
:::Good luck....
:::HTH.
:::--
:::Stephen
:::Chillicothe OH
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