Date: Wed, 8 Sep 2004 05:01:47 -0400
Reply-To: "Daniel L. Katz" <katzd54@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "Daniel L. Katz" <katzd54@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: looking for technical assistance in Wisconsin or Michigan/UP
joy:
if you want to give this a try yourself, here are a few suggestions.
first of all, open up the engine compartment and take a look around for a
disconnected vacuum hose, especially a big one, and make sure the oil
filler cap is snug. then make sure all 4 spark wires and the coil wire are
connected ok on both ends.
assuming all was well above, the next step is to check that all 4 spark
plugs are ok. fouled spark plugs could easily cause the symptoms you
described, especially oil fouled plugs. new plugs always make an engine
run better, although the old plugs themselves may not have been the root
cause of the problem.
a long shot, but make sure engine oil level is no more than slightly over
the full mark.
hope this helps.
dan (mcminnville, oregon)
>
>On Tue, 7 Sep 2004, Joy Hecht wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> Matilda has been great for the past week and a half - had a lovely visit
>> with my sister and her family near Ithaca NY, stopped briefly in
Ontario to
>> meet Tom Shiels and get my Vanagon.com stickers, had a splendid trip up
the
>> Bruce Peninsula between Lake Huron and Georgian Bay and across to
Manitoulin
>> Island on the ferry, did some lovely kayaking up around there, and then
had
>> a great four days at the Chippewa County Fair in the upper peninsula of
>> Michigan, with the extended family of someone who came across my
website and
>> is planning to move into her Westy in the spring.
>>
>> Today, however, Matilda decided that she's tired of running at full
speed
>> and she's been cutting out on me. We dawdled for 160 miles at around
50 mph
>> to Marquette Michigan, which is a major metropolis after the places I've
>> been the past week.
>>
>> She might be in fine form tomorrow, but I'm assuming this isn't going
to get
>> better. I already had the fuel filter replaced before I left Virginia,
and
>> now I'm trying to track down a new-to-me fuel pump that someone offered
me a
>> few weeks ago. I've also been looking at the directions on the web for
>> addressing intermittent Vanagon syndrome.
>>
>> So now I'm looking for someone who might be able to give me a hand with
some
>> of these things. Is there anyone out there in Wisconsin, roughly
between
>> the UP and the Madison area who might be willing to spend some time
>> directing me on how to do things like check fuel pressure, change fuel
pump,
>> etc.? I expect to be visiting a friend in Madison later this week, in
case
>> anyone is there.
>>
>> I also once dredged up info about a good Vanagon mechanic in the Madison
>> area. I could try to dredge that up again, but if anyone knows who that
>> might have been, could you please let me know? I'd rather do this stuff
>> myself, though, with a bit of technical assistance, if I can. I gotta
learn
>> somehow!
>>
>> Matilda works, albeit slowly, so hopefully I'm not going to be stuck in
>> Marquette Michigan indefinitely. But if anyone is near here, please do
get
>> in touch, that would be even better! Phone is below, if you're around
here,
>> please do give me a call, as I'm going to log off soon.
>>
>> Thank you!
>>
>>
>>
>> Joy
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> *******************************************************************
>> Joy Hecht
>> and Matilda, 1989 Burgundy Vanagon
>>
>> email: jhecht@alum.mit.edu
>> telephone: 1-202-494-1162
>> for musings about life and the vanadventures:
>> http://users.rcn.com/jhecht/gypsy
>>
>> *******************************************************************
>>
>>
>>
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