Date:         Sun, 17 Feb 2008 11:21:29 -0500
Reply-To:     Mike Collum <collum@VERIZON.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mike Collum <collum@VERIZON.NET>
Subject:      Re: Rich running incident puzzle
Comments: To: Matt Sutton <msutts@EARTHLINK.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <C3DDACBD.38CF%msutts@earthlink.net>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

My first question is, "What was your temperature gauge doing"?

When I first got my '85, it had a bad thermostat and was running way too
cool so I had to cover about 3/4 of the radiator with cardboard, that
first winter, just so the engine would run right and I could have heat
inside.  That spring, I put a new 87º thermostat in and I've not had
that problem since.  It runs at about the same place on the gauge
(needle not quite touching the LED and on the cool side) in winter and
summer.

Mike
Houlton, Maine



Matt Sutton wrote:
> Hello folks,
>
> Last Monday, after driving on the highway for a 1/2 hr in cold weather, I
> had a sudden loss of power accompanied by the unmistakable smell of a rich
> running engine. I'd had the front and rear heater blowers going, and for
> lack of anything else to try I turned them off. The engine's power returned
> almost immediately.
>
> Things have been fine since, but I haven't  had the occasion to run the heat
> full blast either. I've been wondering what happened and came up with a
> couple ideas:
>
> #1: I'd overcooled the engine somehow, throwing off the air/fuel mixture.
>
> #2: Since everything (wiring, blower motors, etc) is old, running the
> blowers caused a voltage drop across the whole electrical system. With all
> the FI sensors giving info to the ECU by resistance to a specific voltage,
> perhaps the voltage drop creates misinformation. Or even effects the ECU's
> functioning.
>
> No crisis, but anything that helps with understanding how these things work
> is good for me.
>
> Best,
>
> Matt Sutton
> 88 GL 4sp
> Brooklyn NY
>