Date: Sun, 21 Oct 2007 14:28:30 -0700
Reply-To: Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: 1.9L Gutless when first started
In-Reply-To: <vanagon%2007102116505823@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
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Great questions, Geza.
No relationship to ALT lamp, and you're right, I monitor battery voltages
and they are peachy.
--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
KG6RCR
On 10/21/2007 1:39 PM Geza Polony wrote:
> That this occurs intermittently leads me further in the direction of a
> mechanical, physical-type problem. That could include a bad electrical
> connection, a bad ground, the fuel delivery problems I mentioned, the cat or
> muffler, etc. But it's obviously not something that's permanently gone bad,
> or else you'd experience the symptoms all the time the same way. I would
> include the coil in this. It seems to me that if the coil is bad, it's bad
> all the time, but maybe others can shed light on this. Why would the coil
> only be "bad" on startup, and what would change in 30 seconds of run time?
>
> The only other thing I can think of that would be "bad" right after startup,
> and only then, is the battery voltage. It's possible that the energy you use
> starting the engine, combined with a low voltage to begin with, is pushing
> the voltage at the ECU under whatever it's limits are (10.5 volts?) and this
> causes the problem until the alternator is able to get the battery voltage
> back up to specs. Is there any relationship between the alt light on the
> instrument panel and the running problem? It would be nice if the running
> problem stopped when the alt light went out, wouldn't it?
>
> But if I recall, you've done a lot of work on your charging system, and I
> presume you're monitoring your battery voltage pretty closely. If that's
> true, I'm back to the mechanical-physical failure.
>
>
> On Sun, 21 Oct 2007 13:24:08 -0700, Michael Elliott
> <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>
>> Say -- I wonder if this might be due to a failed coil?
>>
>> I ask because the problem surfaced immediately after I did a compression
>> test. I am not an experienced mechanic. I pulled the coil wire out of the
>> dizzie and did my testing.
>>
>> About four days later someone who knows a lot about working on these
>> engines checked my results with his compression tester. "Always ground the
>> coil wire," he said. Why? "Because you can damage the coil."
>>
>> Coincidence? You be the judge.
>>
>> --
>> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
>> 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
>> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
>> 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
>> KG6RCR
>>
>>
>>
>> On 10/21/2007 10:50 AM Geza Polony wrote:
>>
>>> Mike,
>>>
>>> I don't think this has anything to do with the electronic part of your FI
>>> system. First, if your ken-o-meter is showing good results, that means the
>>> electronics are working normally. Second, your symptoms are too extreme to
>>> be caused by a bad sensor or whatever, and the fact that it corrects itself
>>> soon after starting means the FI system isn't faulty.
>>>
>>> This is not really related to temperature, either.
>>>
>>> I'm wondering if it could be something in your fuel delivery system, a
>>> physical clogging of the fuel lines or some other problem that would limit
>>> fuel pressure/delivery rate during the first 30 seconds or so of operation.
>>>
>>> What happens if you start it, then just let it idle for a few minutes? Does
>>> the problem go away?
>>>
>>> Another possibility would be something loose in your cat or muffler creating
>>> too much back pressure until, after a time, it moves out of the way because
>>> of vibration or pressure and allows the exhaust to flow correctly.
>>>
>>> In any event, I think this is something physical (not electronic) that
>>> corrects itself due to engine vibration or exhaust pressure or fuel pressure
>>> after the first few minutes of operation. It's not going to be a vacuum
>>> leak, a sensor problem (except possibly a bad connection), or the like, as
>>> these would not disappear so quickly and with such predictability.
>>>
>>> Geza
>>>
>
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