Date: Wed, 9 Nov 2005 02:55:27 -0500
Reply-To: dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
Subject: Re: loss of power, stumped
In-Reply-To: <BAY106-DAV209BE43A285D05DF9416F7DB670@phx.gbl>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Ed,
The symptoms sound like an O2 sensor problem. There should be 3 wires on the sensor. The two white ones are for the heater. The black one connects to the green wire which is not a ground. That green wire is actually a coaxial cable and the outer sheath should be grounded. This wire can crack internally and water can short it out. Make sure the crimp connection is only connected to the center wire.
Many 87's had the O2 sensor ground circuit grounded at the base of the oil breather. Plastic makes for a lousy connection. If there is a brown wire there, relocate it.
Hope this helps.
Dennis
----- Original Message -----
From: Ed <eduntz@HOTMAIL.COM>
Date: Wednesday, November 9, 2005 1:02 am
Subject: loss of power, stumped
> I'm having a tough time figuring out what's causing my Vanagon
> troubles. This is a 1987, manual trans, engine is believed to be
> original 2.1 with just under 130,000 miles. Here's what's happened
> so far. Started with one problem and it morphed into another. Doug
> in CT helped me all of Saturday to swap out parts, but there's
> still trouble.
>
> I can go down the road and get up to highway speed. Then it loses
> power, in any gear and can barely get out of its own way. BUT if I
> shut it off and start it again, I have power again for another
> cycle.
>
> The problem started out a little differently. At first, it
> wouldn't idle right until it had been idling about 15 minutes,
> then it was fine, without the loss of power problem. Actually, it
> didn't have power until it had idled for that long.
>
> We changed the AFM, and it idled fine, and I could take off
> immediately at highway speed, once, then it would lose power. Also
> changed the throttle position switch, which was bad, too.
>
> We tried replacing, one at a time, the ECU, fuel pressure
> regulator, ignition coil. I tested the output of the fuel pump per
> Bentley, and the output is double the minimum required. Also tried
> disconnecting the oxygen sensor, no difference.
>
> The only thing I can think of and wonder about is the oxygen
> sensor. It's the two wire one, and there's another wire in the
> sheath that looks like it's connected to ground. This is
> definitely not original.
>
> The engine was out when a mechanic replaced front and rear main
> seals and the clutch.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Thanks,
> Ed in CT
>
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