Date:         Sat, 30 Apr 2005 16:22:48 -0700
Reply-To:     Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM>
Subject:      Re: HELP! Westy Stranded in Bryce Canyon National Park...
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=original

--snip--
>Apparently gasoling  is configured differently for differnt elevations.
--snip--

This is a new one on me... anybody have any info on this, pro or con?

I'd always thought the elevation effect was due to the fuel system's
inability to adjust to less or more oxygen available in the air relative to
the elevation in which it was tuned.

I'm also under the impression that modern computer-managed feedback systems
that adjust on the fly handle this fairly well but since I've never owned
anything later than an '87 I wouldn't have any personal experience with this
(I don't know that I'd consider my Vgon's fuel management system as
'modern'). I did drive a rented Grand Caravan from here (SoCal) to the Grand
Canyon last year and that thing didn't behave any differently no matter what
I put in it or where we were.

The idea that refineries formulate gas for various elevations strikes me as
impractical, inefficient and unlikely, but I don't refine gas so what do I
know. However, I have bought gas in Needles (which I don't recommend, get it
in Kingman if you can) and driven to Flagstaff (roughly 6000 ft. difference)
in a few different vehicles and I've never noticed an elevation effect.

Anybody ever adapted a very late (say, 2000s) fuel system to a 2.1 WBX?
Could it be done and would it be worth doing?

Cya,
Robert