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Date:         Tue, 15 Feb 2005 10:18:33 -0500
Reply-To:     Marc Perdue <marcperdue@ADELPHIA.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Marc Perdue <marcperdue@ADELPHIA.NET>
Subject:      Re: Boston Bob Big Valve Update?  Not really... (LONG)
In-Reply-To:  <BAY2-DAV81A3E48AE4537B86DC53AA56B0@phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

When my van first started doing the lost power thing a couple of years ago, I was on my way home and couldn't make it up a hill. I pulled over to the side, disconnected the O2 sensor and it ran fine the rest of the way home. My catalytic converter went bad some time after that, probably a result of the old O2 sensor rusting clean off, and when I replaced it I replaced the O2 sensor too. I still would occasionally lose power and disconnecting the O2 sensor didn't seem to affect it anymore. Go figure.

When the problem occurred down in Salem, we also tried disconnecting the O2 sensor, with no change.

Haven't tried disconnecting the idle stabilizer valve yet, but will try that next time it happens.

Bob D., the mileage was high at first, but now it's not. And now I not only get what I take to be the "normal" VW burnt rubber smell, but the exhaust smells rich with unburned gasoline. The engine seems to have most issues when running below 1200-1400 RPMs. If I can get it over that speed, the engine perks up and will run okay, though it still occasionally feels like I've turned the ignition off when I'm driving along, just for a second or so . . . When I turn it on first thing in the morning, it will idle kind of roughly at about 900 RPMs for a while then jump up to 1100-1200 for a few seconds, then drop back down. Oy!

I've got a spare AFM (don't ask) that I'm going to swap into the van and I'll check the timing too. Then, well, we'll see . . . If I don't get this fixed by May, I might do something different. I'm going to a banjo camp in Groton, MA, the second week of May. I was going to fly up and rent a car, but I might consider driving up and spending a day in Boston, Bob, if you'd be up for that on the 11th or 12th . . .

Thanks all, Marc

Bob Stevens wrote:

>Different engine, but very similar symptoms on mine one time on a long hiway >trip. I stopped, disconnected the O2 sensor, and it ran just fine from there >on. I reconnected it a week later and it's operated just fine since, but >that was the variable that made the difference when I lost power at speed, >and the more I pressed the accelerator, the slower it wanted to go, until >the O2 disconnect. > >bob > >


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