Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:51:26 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Diagnostic Skills Test
In-Reply-To: <200804111611.m3BGBmTr018993@barrierB241.nike.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Twp comments :
One, it's never smart to have work done, or do a bunch of work just before a
trip. Working on something INCREASES , not reduces, the chances of
something being 'off.'
Two, I see faulty work, even professional fautly work, easily half the time.
And I'm counting all minor workmanship issues too, things not in place,
wrong thing done, cheap parts, etc.
Glad you found it.
The VERY FIRST step of All Diagnosis is 'Visual Inspection."
And, people have been known to fret and call people and go online and ask
questions on and on and on, without ever bothering to LOOK at the engine
first.
It's just amazing what 'visual inspection' can reveal sometimes.
If it was my shop, you'd gladly get a deluxe oil and filter change, with top
grade stuff, and a sincere apology for the stress.
And they test drove it after the work ???
SURE .
Perfect example of no matter how small a thing is done to a car, it pays to
test drive it before touching anything ( so if after the work you know if it
was like that in the fist place, or the work introduced the glitch ) AND
after any kind of work.
Scott
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Richards, Andrew
Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 9:12 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Diagnostic Skills Test
Took my van in for a little "spring cleaning" yesterday prior to a
planned weekend of camping and surfing on the Oregon coast. Had an
exhaust stud on a head replaced, compression checked, sticking caliper
fixed, and a general safety inspection. Yeah, nothing too exciting...
that is until I picked it up and started driving home.
Pull out of the lot and start/try to accelerate... chug, chug,
hesitate...hmmm. "Ah, maybe it's just cold. Oh, and my gas gage is
reading below the white line. Yeah, needs gas too," I thought. Fill up
the tank. What?! $50 bucks!? Darn gas prices. Pull out of the
station and the same symptons: idling fine, but as soon as I hit the
gas it's all chug, chug, sputter. Barely make it down the road to get
groceries. "Maybe it's still warming up?" I'm thinking. Make it half
way home and it finally just stalls at a stop light. "What the F!!?"
It start's right back up and I manage to putt around the corner onto a
side street. I'm starting to curse the "new guy" at the VW shop who did
the work at this point, but they've already closed for the day, so I'm
on my own. Hop out, lift the lid and start thinking about what work was
done and what he could have screwed up. Maybe the exhaust is plugged
up? Vanagon syndrome? Compression check was done...hmmmm. Crossed
spark plug wires? No, it wouldn't even idle right. Then, while staring
into the abyss that is my engine compartment, eureka! Look who forgot
to plug the harness back into the AFM after he did his compression test!
Plug it in and down the road I go. All is now well in vanagon land.
I may try and weasel a free oil change or something out of this, but I'm
not too perturbed. Now, had I not been able to fix it, thus my weekend
camping plans being screwed? Different story. I've definitely come
away knowing a little more about what does what on my van, so that's
good.
Andrew
Portland, OR
'87 GL
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