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Date:         Mon, 23 Jul 2007 22:40:12 -0700
Reply-To:     Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject:      Re: Help Needed, On the Road
Comments: To: mad madeline <mac10wv@YAHOO.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <55369.54865.qm@web33304.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Hi. Just a couple of thoughts to offer right now. One, the blue connector at the thermostat housing..... That's the temp sensor input to the computer. It's critical that it get a good connection there. I would suggest pulling that plug and see if there is any corrosion on the contact, either the plug or the sensor. I have seldom ever found a faulty sensor, but I have for sure seen green corrosion at that spot a few times. The 'real repair' in that case is a new sensor. Coolant comes out of course to remove that sensor. Be careful with the plastic thermostat housing - they get brittle, then can break, and do sometimes. Not badly so, but something to be aware of. Also, the wires going into the plug - they should be fine..... But that connection is critical - it can't run without a good signal to the ecu from that temp sensor.

Two....if you ever have the engine flame out in steady flight, and while it's still in gear.... Say you left it in 4th and it was loosing speed......but at we'll say 40 in 4th, and in gear, the engine is doing ....maybe 1,800 rpm. If the tach is at zero when you KNOW the engine is in gear and turning at some rpm , and the key is still on ( it better be, never turn it off while moving ......tho to be fully accurate, you can turn it to off while moving, just don't pull it out at all !! you'll loose steering control, the single most critical system, more so than brakes even ) ......... that's an indication that the ignition has quit, because the tach is driven by the ignition system. I consider that pretty unlikely, but need to consider all possibilities of course. It could even been a cat with loose parts inside intermediately blocking exhaust flow. ( I don't think people consider the exhaust system enough for low power, flaming out, etc. ) ....

. Air Flow Meters in general are a weak link because it is where something mechanical meets something electrical....always a potential weak area - the electronics are usually extremely reliable - they get in trouble where then encounter a mechanical interface.

Scott www.turbovans.com Medford/Ashland, Southern OR.

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of mad madeline Sent: Monday, July 23, 2007 10:13 PM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Help Needed, On the Road

We launched a trip from Phoenix to No. Calif. At 450 miles into the trip our 87 engine, that has been running really good for the last 3K miles, began to stumble. We've been using Chevron all along the way, the problem started 100 miles after a fill up with Chevron. Talked to our mechanic... but not being at the shop we haven't come up with an answer.

The symptoms are that it feels like it is cutting out intermittently. We don't know if its ignition or fuel. At first the cutting out was radical and we hardly made to our destination. Then at our mechanic's advice, we checked the blue plug connecton that goes to the thermostat housing and wiggled the spark plug wires to see if they were loose... this may have helped it some... not sure, but afterward it seemed to not be as radical. We can actually drive it at high speed now and it cuts out only once in awhile. Doesn't seem like it will die and we'll get there, just a bit obnoxious!

Sometimes it caughs several times, sometimes only once. The tach drops each time, but not all the way to 0. The fuel pump does not sound loud. We had a new ox sys 2K ago and everything else was replaced within the last 3K. We don't find it related to hills or high temp or low. No overheating issues. No head leaking.

We are in Carpenteria right now. Tomorrow heading up 101 toward SLO and then San Jose. Any ideas would be much appreciated... or a shop along the way that would pay to stop at. I don't look forward to this for another two thousand miles. Mad Madeline

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