Date: Mon, 4 Sep 2006 09:35:24 -0400
Reply-To: Woody Halsey <WHalsey@SYA.ORG>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Woody Halsey <WHalsey@SYA.ORG>
Subject: Re: sudden failure to fire
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Thanks to all who offered suggestions to solve my failure to fire
problem. I decided to start with the easiest possible solution and work
up and got lucky. The new ignition switch I bought from Ken Wilford a
few years ago just to have on hand did the trick. She fires right up,
"au quart de tour," as before. I hope others will be as fortunate.
Woody
83.5 V'gon
Haverhill, MA
-----Original Message-----
From: John Brigstocke [mailto:jbrig@netscape.ca]
Sent: Monday, September 04, 2006 8:17 AM
To: Woody Halsey
Subject: Re: Re: sudden failure to fire
Woody,
Been out a few days.
Not sure what green box is.
Hall sender is inside distributor. It's a plate that is fitted around
the
distributor shaft but attached to the stationary part of the
distributor.
Part of the plate is a sensor with 3 wires attached that lead out the
black
plastic connector on the side of the metal distributor base. The sensor
picks up the magnetic field from the shaft as it rotates and sends a
switching signal to the ecu. This then fires the ignition coil.
The sensor tends to become erratic and temperatue sensitive and
difficult to
trouble shoot. Only real way is to check for high voltage at the plugs
when
the engine will not start. Or to replace the sender (requires
distributor
removal and drive cog removal on end of shaft - fairly straightforward)
John
86 Westy
----- Original Message -----
From: "Woody Halsey" <WHalsey@sya.org>
To: "John Brigstocke" <jbrig@NETSCAPE.CA>
Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2006 7:46 PM
Subject: RE: Re: sudden failure to fire
Please remind me what that is. The green box attached to the left side
of the chassis in the engine compartment, looking forward? I have a
spare.
Woody
83.5 V'gon
Haverhill, MA
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
Of John Brigstocke
Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2006 7:01 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: sudden failure to fire
One possibility is the Hall sender in the distributor. Can be
unpredictable.
John
1986 Westy
----- Original Message -----
From: "Woody Halsey" <WHalsey@SYA.ORG>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2006 11:32 AM
Subject: sudden failure to fire
Dear All,
In the 20 years I have been happily driving my V'gon, through two
engines and more replaced parts than I care to think about, have gone
through just about every challenge discussed here over the years. The
one thing my beloved wagen has never done is fail to start. It has
always fired up "au quart de tour," as the French say. Until yesterday.
Here's what happened. Drove 40 miles to Logan airport, engine purring
through the all-new exhaust system. Parked. Went to a meeting at the
airport Hilton with the families of the students we were sending to
Italy last night. Retrieved van in parking lot and drove over to the
hotel to pick up colleague, wife, four kids and their 13 huge bags to
check in and 8 small backpacks to carry on. They marveled at the
capaciousness of the V'gon. (I took the middle seat out and carpeted the
middle section years ago.) Drove to the terminal. Unloaded. Turned key
to return to parking lot. She wouldn't start. Battery strong, engine
turned over and over and over. No go.
Went home on the back of the AAA flat bed, dropping van of at garage.
This morning, she started right up the first time and the mechanic
wondered why I was there. But then it refused to start the second time
he turned the key.
So, does anyone have an explanation?
So far we know:
a) Battery strong
b) Plenty of fuel, no sign of fuel pump problems.
c) Spark string at the distributor cap (but terminals inside
have heavy black deposits - I scraped them off with my pocket knife -
probably should replace no matter what.)
Theories to date:
a) Something to do with temp? (Started up when cooled down this
morning ...?)
b) Loose wire somewhere?
c) Vapor lock somewhere?
All suggestions welcome. Many thanks in advance.
Woody
83.5 V'gon
Haverhill, MA
