Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2005 12:34:07 -0800
Reply-To: mark drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: mark drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Re: 2.1L ignition/FI woes!!
In-Reply-To: <00f801c5f509$e82dbeb0$0201a8c0@DHRV2211>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
With a 2.1 you can normally hear/feel the idle stabilizer buzzing when
the key is on. Unplugging the wires to it should be okay for your
troubleshooting.
If you hear/feel the 2 engine relays clicking with the key on then that
sounds like a problem. They should both click on right when the key is
turned on and then one should click off a few seconds later. After that
they should not click at all unless the key is turned again. If they
click just sitting there or when you wiggle wires, that is a problem
that must be tracked down.
The hall unit gets it's power from the ECU. The ignition coil is powered
by the key switch and pulsed by the ECU when the ECU sees the hall
pulses. It is common for the hall units to get flaky and die. It is also
common for wiring problems to develop in the wires that power the
various parts.
Don't overlook fuel pressure either. A simple $10 dial type tire gauge
can be rigged to the pressure test port and this can point to the fact
that the fuel pump is not coming on and staying on when it should.
Mark
Mountaineer wrote:
> Folks,
>
> Been a long time since i posted to the list. This is a lengthy post.
>
> I have the van of a local fellow that has a problem. It is a late
> 80's 2.1
> with digifant. It is an automatic.He has electrical problems. I
> offered to
> help him for there is no reliable place in our area to work on a vanagon.
> Here is what i know for sure.
>
> Newish battery. Has 13 volts.
>
> I personally cleaned all grounds, and mounted auxiliary ground from
> pin 19
> of ecu harness to block. I even used copper anti seize on the bolt to
> ensure good connection.
>
> Fairly new rebuilt afm. He had replaced temp sensor II as well.
> Distributor
> was replaced with a rebuilt one in the past few years. Cap and rotor
> in good
> shape and are correct. Coil has been replaced in last year or so.
>
> I thought i had the problem nailed early on....the wrong spark plug wires
> were on the car..........early vanagon wires were on , not the later pin
> type connections. But i switched, and result s the same.
>
>
> He admits to once reversing polarity on the battery for about 15 seconds
> once. This the wire from the starter to the alternator, which i
> replaced.
>
> Starter engages fine.
>
> Now here is what is bizarre. I hooked up digitool this AM. The car
> cranked
> right up. all lights on the digitool functioned and the car was running
> well. Then, suddenly, it died. I turned the key and it fired back
> up, the
> digitool showing this result. Then the car died, and would not start.
>
> While turning the key i would watch the digitool..occasionally the coil
> light and afm would flicker for a split second and the car would try to
> catch....but it couldn't the coil/fi lights did not stay on.
>
> I have 12v to the coil on the black wire. I have 12 v in the relay
> box the
> engine compartment as well. I have ruled out the ignition switch, for i
> have jumpered from the battery to the starter pin on the switch and then
> jumpered hot to the coil wires......same result...no coil light on the
> digitool. The wires are clean and well connected on the
> starter.......one
> wire comes off of the spade connector on the starter and goes
> somewhere in
> the engine bay.....I have wondered whether the starter solenoid is
> malfunctioning and not powering this wire.
>
>
> I also noticed that when i leave the key on , and go in the engine bay, i
> can hear the relays clicking and i feel a vibration in the idle
> stabilizer
> unit......I unplugged it and turned the key, and the same result.
>
> I have unplugged O2 sensor as well, and same result. The car never runs
> long enough to get into the part of the ecu that uses the O2 sensor
> anyway.
>
> I am at wits end on this thing, for there is nothing that is obvious.
>
>
>
>
> Adam P
> ))><((
> Charleston,SC Coburn, WV
>
> "Mountaineers are always free"
>
>
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