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Date:         Tue, 2 May 2006 00:16:12 -0400
Reply-To:     robertmstewart <robertmstewart@MAC.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         robertmstewart <robertmstewart@MAC.COM>
Subject:      First Long Drive, some observations
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"

Hello to everyone,

So I just took my 88 Auto Wolfsburg van that I purchased in January from upstate NY on itıs first long trip. I drove from Long Beach Long Island just past Middletown NY, basically a 2 1/2 - 3 hour drive. The week before I attempted this trip and uncovered a damaged coolant pipe that forced a coolant blowout 30 miles away from Long Beach which cost me $85 dollars in Flatbed fees and $200 dollars in mechanic and parts fees. So this trip was a trial test of the vanıs ability to take a nice drive. I am happy to say it made there and back without a problem doing at max 80mph on the highway.

A couple of issues though,... I suspect that the speedometer may be 5mph higher than actual speed is this normal? It has the stock size tires with alloy wheels.

The ability to climb hills is weak, at best I can get her to do 45-55mph on any kind of relative incline, steep or not, is this normal? It seems to hang at around 3,000 rpm no higher, and giving it more gas seems not to do very much. On super steep hills in the countryside it did pretty well at lower speeds, and the transmission seems to shift pretty smooth, I was just wondering if others experienced this speed issue on rural route/highway hills at high speed?

Next, when I reached my location after driving for 3 hours I am about to pull in, and all of sudden it stalls! I put it in park, and turns over no problem and continue to drive for another 5 minutes to my location without issue. What happened here? The O2 sensor is new, could I have an AFM problem?

Last thing, a few weeks ago I wrote in about the accelerator pedal feeling as though it was falling off, well I checked it and the previous owner had tried to epoxy something to it. I took the lists suggestion and used some screws and bolted it down to the floor and that worked but while driving it seemed to me that pedal was hard to push down at times, does a cable or something need to be greased? Or lubricated with oil? It just does not feel smooth feeling when pressing down on the accelerator compared to modern cars. It this something I need to get used to?

Thanks for your feedback in advance!

Regards to all,

Rob -- NYC/Long Beach, NY 88 Wolfsburg, Silver


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