Date:         Fri, 5 Jan 2007 17:40:17 -0800
Reply-To:     BA <oddstray@ODDSTRAY.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         BA <oddstray@ODDSTRAY.COM>
Subject:      Re: Roadside Troubles while on Vacationing
In-Reply-To:  <E97981B9EF0CC44EAC6EC0653851CC6502768115@spotsrv2.dpswireless.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

We're camping at Silverlake in the Northern Sierra.  Driving around,
trying to get a shower somewhere.  As we leave one private campground
(who couldn't offer us a shower) the host comes up after us and
informs us that we're leaking some sort of fluid.

We assumed it was the seal between the clutch and gearbox, since we'd
just had that looked at by our S.D.mechanic, who opined that it wasn't
in need of repair.

We dared to drive about 12 miles into Lee Vining (nearest place where
we could get a cellphone signal).  Parked on a side street and phoned
the Auto Club.  They got us connected with a local service station
who, it turned out, was about a block behind us!

That service station didn't work on VWs.  But they knew of one in
Mammoth (about 35 miles southward) who did.  So they loaded our van
onto a flatbed towtruck.  While he was doing what he need to safely
load it, the L.V.mechanic noticed a flood of gas coming from the
bottom.

At Mammoth, the service station confirmed that it was a bad gas hose.
Easy repair (took them a coupla' hours and they had the needed part).
But as it turned out, they didnt' use fuel injection pressure hose and
a subsequent check revealed that the repair needed to be repaired.

So in all we were out lotsa aggro, but only about four hour's time.
(We had coverage for the $100-ish tow into Mammoth so we had that
reimbursed.

And, we're now much more suspicious of anything our S.D.mechanic tells
us, since 

a) all the hoses were supposed to have been changed/repaired/whatever
when he replaced the engine a year or so ago!!!  :-o

b) he had replaced the starter a few months previously, and it failed
while were were out in the boondocks in Mexico!  Luckily we could
manage to push start it, and did so several times on the way home.


It may be time for a new mechanic ...  


B&S
'87 Westy Esmerelda Blanc
SoCal