Date: Sun, 21 Oct 2007 16:39:27 -0400
Reply-To: Geza Polony <gezapolony@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Geza Polony <gezapolony@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Subject: Re: 1.9L Gutless when first started
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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