Date:         Sun, 10 Sep 2006 07:24:34 +0000
Reply-To:     "annasan1@comcast.net >Anna QS<" <annasan1@COMCAST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "annasan1@comcast.net >Anna QS<" <annasan1@COMCAST.NET>
Subject:      Meltdown with my '86 "mongrel"!

From: Anna Quinn-Smith-Ptld OR

    ( I am always so tempted to answer the "Portland OR" with an " OR what ???")

- So, great advice from those who wrote re: my exhaust problems. Thanx again.  Bottom line was: new muffler & a gasket or something + labor!  Not bad when I was expecting the worse! Right at $300 & change.  Really must 2nd the motion re: Ashley at Always V-Dub in Portland OR - he is wonderful!!!!!!

But NOW **.... enroute to an event Fri 9/8 (within 30 miles of home) van began to spit and lurch regardless what gear I was in.  Young guy at gas station said it sounded like a loose distributer case, or misfiring on plugs.   I told him I had just had a full tuneup down less than a month or so prior.   He & I checked engine, plugs looked fine, but sure enough, a connection at distributor was not all the way attached. That done, off we went with only 1 or 2 repeats.  Happened again soon after leaving  this eve before it fully warmed up. The symptoms seem to occur when RPMs are kinda low and then that needle jumps all over the dial!  Any long term fixes I should know about ??

- ** ALSO ** - ->>  Tonite I forgot I was driving such a long vehicle and wiped out my sliding door at the gas pump (hey- but it was only $2.67/gal !!) Door still works ok, but far left end of the slider is pulled up slightly away from where it should be; I figure rain and stuff with get in there. I think I should replace it but when/where/how??  Should I notify my ins. co and maybe get rates raised?  Plus no real help ?  Or should I find some VW listee locally to help me with a salvaged one??  I've only been to a junk yard once, many moons ago!  And what should be a decent price on a slider? I don't even care if it matches!  That can be changed eventually
-  and besides all this, I am still ever looking for a westy interior - -

- Anna in OR
'86 Vanagon   " Blue Mongrel "
--
" The answer is always "NO" 100% of the time you don't ask".