Date:         Fri, 22 Apr 2005 14:13:06 -0400
Reply-To:     Roger Sisler <rogersisler2000@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Roger Sisler <rogersisler2000@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Ran out of gas ....now won't start ??

It doesnt take much to plug up a vanagon filter.I've done it several times
in 25,000 miles. When I cut the plugged filter apart, I can see fine
sand .Not even  a third as much as I might find on a sheet of sand paper,10
inches square.Amazing! A new filter always fixes the noise that indicated a
plug.Did you have this noise? To stop an engine from running in a matter of
seconds,like yours, must indicate a lot of crud sucked into the pump.Cant
understand why you havent had frequent filter problems? From reading about
this on the list(the list is a best seller)you may have torn up rubber
gaskets on the 2 expansion tanks that are in the front wheel wells.The
tires kick up sand from the road and it gets into the gas tank via these
bad gaskets.Sometimes by the pound.I understand that this gasket is obscure
and that one must go to a VW dealer to get it.Even so, it only cost about 2
or 3 dollars.Pocket change for once-right! If not the filter, I would
guess , the pump.I've run my vanagon out of gas a couple of times, and the
pump survived to come back and mennis my again.If you do need a new pump,
and dont want to spend all that money($180)for a new one, try ebay. they
currently have about 4 pumps for sale-cheep.One last possiability , I can
see(knowing the vanagon) that you may not have been out of gas. The van
just stopped runing when you were only low on gas.To mock you , it did this
in front of a gas station.Vanagons are crafty.Gotta take that into
consideration here. When I run out of gas, the van wont move, but the moter
will run for a few minutes. There is no gas in the tank, but there is still
fuel in the lines. Fuel pressure goes down as the moter uses up this
gas.The engine will run, but will not rev.Check maybe a fuse.A lot of
current draw from a plugged pump may be enouth to zap your fuse or
relay.Something electrical that will shut your engine down.I like to wiggle
wires and disconnect and reattach the ECU.Could it be a coil? Was it
raining out?Good luck,Roger.