Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2007 10:09:27 -0800
Reply-To: Chris Lisica <wavanagon@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Chris Lisica <wavanagon@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: So thar I was (Engine wouldn't start)
In-Reply-To: <475596D0.9080308@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
That is a brilliant idea.
On Dec 4, 2007 10:05 AM, Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@gmail.com> wrote:
> Thanks, Chris -- my TPS is working fine. I have an LED wired across it
> in the front cabin right now (part of an earlier project). It goes out
> when the foot is off the pedal, indicating that ECU Pin 4's 5V is being
> shunted to ground through the switch.
> --
> 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 12/4/2007 9:59 AM Chris Lisica wrote:
>
> > The shuddering, and rpm dropping remind me of when my throttle position
> > switch was not set properly. Your not starting also reminds me of my TPS
> > not being set properly. Check your TPS, does it do the 'click' when you
> > rotate the spring loaded lever? Get your hands on the digifant manual,
> > and go through setting the TPS properly. It is not that hard, and can
> > solve many problems. Having an ohm meter, helps determine if it's set
> > properly or not. Worked for me.
> >
> >
> > On Dec 4, 2007 9:07 AM, Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@gmail.com
> > <mailto:camping.elliott@gmail.com>> wrote:
> >
> > Where be the best place to spritz the WD-40 when the engine is wet
> and
> > cold and doesn't want to spark?
> >
> > To answer your question about how the engine ran after started, the
> > engine
> > ran fine, with one exception which I think is an unrelated side
> issue:
> > When the engine is cold (even 75F cold) it has this odd behavior
> > where it
> > doesn't want to continue to idle. Typically, this means that I'll
> leave
> > the house (or school parking lot, or wherever) and trundle along for
> > two,
> > three minutes, get to a red light and wait. After about 20 seconds
> > or so,
> > the engine kind of "shudders" -- you can feel it in the seat. Then
> the
> > rpms start to drop, lower and lower, like the engine is missing. If
> > unattended, it will die -- although it will start instantly.
> >
> > My O2 monitor tells me that the mixture is fine. When I see this do
> this
> > with a timing light, the timing marks starts going spastically all
> over
> > the place.
> >
> > Once it gives its warning shudder and the tach starts wobbling
> > downward, a
> > slight pressure on the gas pedal to raise the speed to 1,000 rpm or
> so
> > suffices to keep it from dying while waiting. After about 5 seconds,
> > the
> > engine will suddenly and smoothly rev to about 2,000 rpm.
> >
> > Once warm, the engine doesn't do this.
> >
> > When I got to the top of the mountain last week, I paused to talk to
> the
> > campground host, discuss which sites were open, whether the water
> was
> > turned on, whether the flush toilets had been shut down (they were,
> > it was
> > outhouse time for Mr Squirrel), the weather forecast, etc. While
> > chatting,
> > the engine slowed and died. It started at a touch of the key.
> >
> > After it eventually started that cold, wet morning it didn't want to
> > idle
> > long enough for me to pack the wheel levelers I'd just pulled off
> > of. But
> > it did re-start immediately.
> >
> > Like I say, I don't think this is related. But since you asked....
> >
> >
> > --
> > 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 12/4/2007 8:48 AM Jake de Villiers wrote:
> >
> > > If it was moisture, take along a can of WD-40 - Water
> Displacement is
> > > what it does best.
> > >
> > > Some more description of the engine's behaviour when it did
> finally
> > > start might be helpful....
> > >
> > >
> > > On Dec 4, 2007 8:29 AM, Michael Elliott <
> > camping.elliott@gmail.com <mailto:camping.elliott@gmail.com>
> > > <mailto:camping.elliott@gmail.com
> > <mailto:camping.elliott@gmail.com>>> wrote:
> > >
> > > All adventure tales should start with, "So thar I was . . ."
> This
> > > alerts
> > > the listener that some old codger is about to embark on a
> long,
> > > rambling,
> > > and ultimately pointless tale.
> > >
> > > This alerted, the smart listener knows that it time to leave
> > the room,
> > > mumbling some excuse about needing to check the mail or get a
> > lung
> > > removed.
> > >
> > > But anyways.
> > >
> > > So thar I was last Friday, camping at 6,000 feet in the
> mountains
> > > east of
> > > San Diego. We were having a record storm: 40 mph winds,
> several
> > > inches of
> > > rain, and lows in the middle 30's (F). By many standards,
> > that ain't
> > > much
> > > of a storm, but around here it's notable.
> > >
> > > Mellow Yellow was parked broadside to the wind and while the
> > gusts shook
> > > the van, the poptop showed no sign of stress. However, the
> > force of the
> > > wind pushed water right through the fabric on the weather
> side.
> > > Things got
> > > a little damp in the spice rack.
> > >
> > > The rain blew horizontally. All day and all night.
> > >
> > > In the morning, the rain had stopped, but the wind continued.
> > Easily
> > > Beaufort 7 (moderate gale). I packed up and went to start the
> > > engine, but
> > > it didn't want to cooperate.
> > >
> > > Cranked and cranked and cranked. But there was no indication
> of
> > > combustion. I paused, thinking, "I don't want to have to call
> for
> > > help! I
> > > just want to go home to Mrs Squirrel."
> > >
> > > After waiting a bit, I tried again -- lots of cranking, and
> > after a bit
> > > the engine caught -- grudgingly, it seemed -- and shortly
> > thereafter
> > > I was
> > > on my way home.
> > >
> > > Here's the thing: I am scheduled to go up that mountain every
> > month and
> > > spend a couple of nights. December, January, and February. If
> > the engine
> > > didn't want to start this last time, I worry that it might be
> > worse next
> > > time. it might not start at all.
> > >
> > > I don't know what the problem was. There was gear covering
> > the engine
> > > hatch, my fingers were cold, and I didn't have an assistant
> > to crank the
> > > engine while I checked for spark or other stuff (actually,
> > checking for
> > > spark is about the limit of my skills, anyway).
> > >
> > > Cold, altitude -- those both cold affect starting, I reckon.
> I
> > > wonder also
> > > whether a full day and night of sideways horizontal rain
> > might have
> > > gotten
> > > the ignition parts wet. I don't have enough information to
> > hazard a
> > > guess.
> > >
> > > So my question is: if you had just had this experience, what
> > would you
> > > have done? What might you bring along the next time to help
> > get the darn
> > > engine started, in the snow or rain, with no one to assist?
> > >
> > > --
> > > 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
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Jake
> > > 1984 Vanagon GL
> > > 1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
> > > Crescent Beach, BC
> > > www.crescentbeachguitar.com <http://www.crescentbeachguitar.com>
> > <http://www.crescentbeachguitar.com>
> > > http://subyjake.googlepages.com/ <
> http://subyjake.googlepages.com/>
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
--
Chris
88 Vanagon GL (daily driver)
87 Westfalia (in progress)
http://wavanagon.googlepages.com/
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