Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2006 11:05:08 -0700
Reply-To: Helge Weissig <helgew@GRAJAGAN.ORG>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Helge Weissig <helgew@GRAJAGAN.ORG>
Subject: 86 Westy cuts out sporadically, now won't start
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Hi,
I have read all the archive posts that I could find and am aware of
many similar sounding issues that are either due to ignition
switches, AFM problems, distributors broken or ECU malfunction/bad
connections. My Westy's problem is hopefully one of these (it may
well be more than one problem, read on!) but I wanted to see if I
could maybe get some input on what I think are somewhat unique
symptoms: Over the last few years I have been finding the battery
completely drained in the morning after driving around a bit the
previous day. I wrote this off to a ground contact somewhere that
would come and go (the dead battery was unpredictable) but which I
could not find. I would recharge the battery (which now, no doubt
isn't the freshest anymore, but my "smart charger" did not show any
fault codes and I reconditioned it just last week). However, in
addition, during the last two years or so, another problem manifested
itself in that the engine would suddenly cut out completely, the
tachometer needle maybe doing a little spike and then going down to
0. Most times, the engine could be started again after a short time
waiting at the side of the road. All other electrical systems seem to
fully function, the starter would crank but the engine would not fire
until all of a sudden it would come back to life. This happened about
5 or 6 times now but the van has only been driven a few hundred miles
in the last year or so.
Well, last week, I was going to get it ready for the coming two
months when I will need it for commuting since my folks will be
borrowing my other car. I found the battery very weak and hardly able
to get the starter to crank. So I recharged and reconditioned and
still got no ignition (better cranking now though). I inspected the
ignition cables (which look bad, am waiting for replacements on back-
order), put in new spark plugs and fixed the contact on the cable
going from the coil to the distributor (could someone educate me on
this cable's composition, please? It does not look to be a cable at
all, but rather a fibrous material sheathed in insulation). I also
changed the oil since I was at it. Well, something did it (being a
bit of a novice I have nevertheless ruled out the oil change as the
cause here, so no jokes please! :) ) and the engine came to life
immediately... only to die when I took the foot of the gas. It would
start up again no problem, die again and finally run fairly smooth
once the engine was warm. The idle rpms kept fluctuating though and a
couple of times idle dropped again too low and the engine would quit.
NB: this was a slow "dying" not like to complete cut-out I described
above when driving at 45 mph or so (once at 70 mph on the freeway :( ).
Anyways, the van ran very well for a few miles and then the battery
and OXS lights came on and stayed on. I had the feeling that the
motor was running a little cooler and leaner than it had been too,
but this is just a gut feeling I had. Well, we drove, parked, drove
some more and finally drove home with a full load of kids and
furniture only to have the instant cut-off happen again at 7:30 pm in
the middle of an intersection 1.5 miles from my house. After endless
tries (starter would crank but no ignition), the engine briefly came
back to life but as soon as I took my foot off the gas to switch into
1st gear, it died again slowly and then would not start. After the
AAA tow an hour later, the van now sits in the driveway waiting for
your kind input and my feeble attempts to fix it.
thanks for any advice and insights you may have! My plan is to check
the ignition switch first, then check for spark, check the
distributor cap, maybe fiddle with the ECU housing... I am not afraid
to open it up either and check the solder connections, have done some
soldering before. Would even love to borrow a digitool or may build
me one... in all my spare time ;)
cheers,
h.
86' Westy, 224k miles
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