Date:         Sat, 19 Nov 2005 10:35:28 -0500
Reply-To:     Roger Sisler <rogersisler2000@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Roger Sisler <rogersisler2000@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: The continuing saga, stuck in Tucumcari
Comments: To: Barb Cotton <cottonscrafts@YAHOO.COM>

I remember you saying that you drove through a strong weather front.Was it
raining? Perhaps you have water in the tank after all.There was a posting
last spring about a listee that found about 1 inch of gravel in the gas
tank.Traced it to a bad seal in  the gas expansion tank. These tanks are
located in each front wheel well.Perhaps you have seen them while changing
tires. There is a rubber gasket about the size of a silver dollar on the
top of each tank, and this bad gasket is where the gravel entered.I am sure
that water can enter even easier.The front tires will kick up the water and
spray it directly on these tanks.

If you disconnect the fuel line at the filter, gas will come out. To check
and see if you got water,collect a gallon or two   of this gas in a
transparent container like a 2 liter soda bottle.Water a nd gas wont mix ,
so they will seperate.Water is heavyer, so it willbe on the bottom inside
your tank.Maybe jack the left front tire up first to push all the water
over to the fuel exit in the tank.

If you can remove the  water, add dry gas(several bottles) to  the
remaining fuel.A fuel injecter  cleaner too.After hurricane Kitrina, I
think alcohol was removed from gas supplies as an emergency measure.
Alcohol locks up water and it wont let the water harm your engine.Dry gas
will do this.

A can of undercoating sprayed at the top of each expantion tank will seal
the gaskets till you can replace them.I think they are a vw dealer part
only. About $3 each, and you need two.The problem is that if you try to
remove the expantion tanks to check, hyou will tearthe gaskets for
sure.Factory undercoating glues them in place and only 1 phillips head
screw is needed tobe removed to remove the tanks.

As forthe fuelin the fuellines, this may be more difficult to deal
with.There is about a pint of fuel in them.Maybe just run the engine at
idle till it is used up.Maybe youneed to remove theinjector hold down bolts
on each side and allow theinjectors to spray into a cup.Dont know about
this.


Once again, good luck and I hope youhave found someoneoutthere who can do
this on a sat, or sunday.Roger