Date:         Tue, 21 Jun 2005 10:18:28 -0400
Reply-To:     frank <oy@COMCAST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         frank <oy@COMCAST.NET>
Subject:      Re: Won't Start
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

I've got a no start problem, but with good fuel pressure and my fuel
injectors are working.  I even had the injectors professionally cleaned
and flow tested last week.

Greg Potts posted "The injectors are triggered by the pulse in voltage
at the coil caused when the spark plugs are fired."  So, as long as my
fuel injectors are working, I assume that my distributor is working ok,
right?  When I pull a plug, I get a spark about every other time the
ignition is turned over.  It looks pretty weak, but I do get a spark.

Regarding this no-start problem, so far I've replaced (or part was
recently replaced):
Distributor
Cap & Rotor
Plug Wires
Air Flow Meter
ECU
Battery (Just replaced this week, so it's fully charged)
Fuel Pump
Coil
Coolant Temp Sensor
X-Relay

The engine is turning over fine, but does not fire at all.  This problem
began with hard starting, but the van would run fine once
started......that is until it would randomly just die on the highway.
Then the hard starting would continue for 5 - 15 minutes and it would
fire up and go again.

Then one day, the van ran really poorly, bucking and sputtering all the
way home, while cutting out a few times.  Once home, it has never
started again, for about three months now, while I've taken the
painfully expensive route of replacing likely culprits.  It almost seems
like a timing issue.  Can the timing belt/chain go out gradually?  I
always thought they just snapped.  Is there any way to test timing on an
engine that won't start?

Any other ideas?  I'm stuck.

Frank