Date:         Sat, 2 Dec 2006 20:06:14 -0800
Reply-To:     Evan Mac Donald <macdonald1987@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Evan Mac Donald <macdonald1987@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Sudden weird problems and no-start
In-Reply-To:  <6F4AFA99-428B-4892-880E-2626CC09D65B@knology.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Sounds as though there are two sets of problems here. One is the dash lights, and the other is the "hunting" idle.

  The dash lights etc. are likely to be a bad ground. And if the engine also died, it may be back at the engine itself. There are three major grounds for the engine and trans, so check all three. The one one that usually gets forgotten is the one at the forward end of everything, at the forward trans mount. There is also the possibility that the ignition switch is acting out on you. Power ain't getting everywhere it should. Try wiggling the key, and then the wires at the back of the switch, with the engine running.

  The idle may be a voltage related problem, because of a poor ground. It may also be a sticking cold air valve. Which just recently went NLA. Usually a good soak and spray with carb & choke cleaner is enough to get them functional again, luckily.


Jim Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET> wrote:
  Well, maybe not so weird to someone who has a clue as to what's going
on with my vanagon, but weird to me.

It's a 90 with 212K miles, nothing ever done to the engine other than
tuneup, head gaskets, alternator, hoses and such.

The car has started with the first click of the key since I bought it
new.

Recently it's started to get cold around here (mildly cold, down to
30s and tonight, 20s). Since the cool weather began, the car has been
idling high while cold (1200-1500 rpm) until fully warm, and even
then sometimes a bit high.

When the engine is cold, at first the tach needle "hunts" up and down
between about 750 and about 1300.

I drove the car 20 miles out of town this morning and it sat all day.
I came back at dark to drive home, and it wouldn't start. I tried
about ten times, each time just a few turns. I tried to hear if the
fuel pump (it's only a year old) was coming on, but the stupid chimes
were so loud I couldn't.

On the tenth or eleventh time it started and ran great--except that
when I abruptly took my foot off the gas to take a ramp onto a
different freeway, the tach, dashlights and engine died for a
fraction of a second, then came back on and I continued to drive home
without event, taking another ramp or two on the way with no such
problem.

Ignition switch? Temp sensor?

Any opinions will be appreciated.

Thanks,

Jim