Date:         Tue, 9 Oct 2007 03:29:21 -0500
Reply-To:     Max Wellhouse <maxjoyce@IPA.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Max Wellhouse <maxjoyce@IPA.NET>
Subject:      Vanagon cold hard start issues
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Well, I've cried to the list before about how my 90GL with the
Haltech ECU system on it won't start at all below 10 degrees
F.  About a month ago, it started showing these same symptoms when I
first start it up in the morning when it's 50-70 degrees F out.  It
might be a little worse when it's been raining or really humid out,
but  the difficulty of starting the engine is almost exactly the
same.  Once it's been driven 15 min. or so, it's good for the rest of the day.

1. Compression in all 4 cylinders is good.

2. Ignition- engine certainly sounds like it's getting spark, but the
plugs are old(Bosch Plats) and the ignition wires are over
60k(expensive aftermarket "performance" wires bought from Gene Berg
when the motor was overhauled).  Cap and rotor are less than 6 months
old and the coil is new Bosch less than  a year ago.  Will check
timing, but the ECU pretty much controls that.  Hall Sender was new
3-4 years ago.

3.Fuel-  The Haltech has it's own cold start program and I have no
idea what's considered "rich or "lean" if I were to change it.  The
fuel injectors are original equipment, but I took them out earlier
this year and tested the flow and the patterns were okay and none
leaked after the power was shut off.  Wasn't skilled enough to test
the volume of spray, but this is a cold start only issue, so I'm not
certain the injectors are at fault.  In town mileage has never been
very good, but the last few hwy. trips, the mpg has been in the 18-19
range and I've rarely ever gotten 20 or better.  Fuel pressure(dash
gauge) is reading 29-36 psi just like it's spozed to depending on
vacuum load.  I'm using the "ethanol 10% gas", but how would that
affect cold starting?  It hasn't changed as I've been using it for 3
or 4 years.

4.  Vacuum leak-  My dash VDO vacuum gauge shows no signs of a
leak(warm idle of 14-15 in. hg.) and the hoses in the engine bay seem
tight and in good condition.

Any chance I need to check and rest valve clearances to .006 as per
the Boston Bob article?  Again, what's different cold vs. hot here?

When I roll the starter, in the morning, the engine coughs and tries
to start, and then it sounds like it's stumbling over itself.  It
will cough again and then if I  slightly open the throttle, any
momentum of finishing off the start procedure goes back to square
one.  If I was guessing, I would guess that it's fuel related, but
whether it's being starved for start up fuel, or whether it's
drowning in fuel at the start is a determination I've yet to be able
to discern.  If it does finally give the impression of it trying to
run, any additional opening of the throttle seems to also kill the
engine.  If the throttle position sensor were going bad(Haltech
item), would it give me trouble 100% of the time and not just during
cold start?

any ideas folks?

TIA

DM&FS