Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2008 01:22:24 -0400
Reply-To: Oliver Mueller-Heubach <groundhogging@MAC.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Oliver Mueller-Heubach <groundhogging@MAC.COM>
Subject: Re: Chopstick's Adventure of the day
In-Reply-To: <012701c8fdac$e0f05c30$6401a8c0@PROSPERITY>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed
Thanks Jeff on the gas tank warning. I am planning on dropping the
tank and resealing, etc. in a month or two when cash and time become
available again. I have a couple more filters, so I'll check the one
on there tomorrow and possibly add a Cali-spec one in the line too.
With the spare 2 liter here now, I'm probably going to send its
injectors out for rebuild- hopefully the ones in the van will hold out.
You're welcome on the newbeetle.org suggestion- glad it's of help.
Scott- just rereading my original message and I honestly don't
remember if the light was on before I put it on the charger. Thinking
of it, it may have been on when I went to get coffee and a newspaper
first thing. Like I said, the alternator was rebuilt and I guess I
was in denial- figuring it must be battery. "If it dies, it
dies" (it came with the van and no idea how old/condition).
Oh well- after sitting immobile around here for three years, today's
issues were really no big deal. I'm happy to have it on the road and
any issues be mostly dumb mistakes on my part. (ps- my wife points
out that she didn't borrow the jumpers- I think I never put them back
in, having mistaken the cables from the battery charger under the z-
bed for them sorry beej!)
On Aug 13, 2008, at 9:27 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
> Sounds to me like you drove off knowing the alternator was not
> charging the
> battery.
> on an old fashioned car........
> say one with a carburettor and points igntion......like an old Bus
> or Bug
> ............or whatever - MG say.....
> you can drive one of those on the battery with the charging system
> for days
> practically.
>
> Electronic fuel injection uses a lot more current. it's got
> electronic
> ignition too of course........
> so you've got to figure it's going to use up a whole lotta current
> running.
>
> this is assuming you are talking about a gasoline vanagon.
> I missed where you said what year or version of vanagon it is.
>
> But what happened is to be expected on any gasoline vanagon. Gotta
> have a
> working charging system.
> "Usually" but not always-absolutely......if the battery light is
> on , it
> ain't chargin' the battery.
> And it's not likely to be a loose belt, unless the belt is super
> loose, like
> almost ready to fall off.
>
> I'd check the charging voltage at the battery. Should be 13.8 about.
> if not, I'd take the alternator into a good place for testing.
> I don't know why people buy new a new battery when they have a
> charging
> issue.
> Hope you get it figured out and things are good again !
>
> the chugging/loss of power ...........which you thought was a fuel
> issue,
> was the ECU and Ignition system not having enough juice to work with.
> scott
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Oliver Mueller-Heubach" <groundhogging@MAC.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 5:36 PM
> Subject: Chopstick's Adventure of the day
>
>
>> Got up this morning and decided to drive the van out to the
>> Chesapeake and Ohio Canal where I could sit in the shade and read for
>> grad school exams. First thing I noticed was the battery light was
>> on. Ok. I slid the seat and put t on the charger. Fully charged, I
>> drove out to the canal, read a couple articles into the mac/
>> "garageband" for playback on long trips (I can only stand so much of
>> the automatic mac voices- though mine isn't much better). Went for an
>> 8 mile walk on the canal during which I read another article. Came
>> back to van, got it to head home. A mile later, he was coughing and
>> conveniently between a cliff and a guardrail with no pullover and
>> plenty of cars behind. I thought..ok, I know I don't have a gas
>> gauge, but 140 miles are all I get from a full 14 gallon tank?!? I
>> looked in back, nothing loose or unhooked. Tapped the fuel filter and
>> pump (both new, but tank needs work), got pack in and managed to go
>> another 100 feet- enough to pull off the road. I start walking the 4
>> miles to the next gas station. A couple miles on, I got a lift from
>> a guy who felt sympathy because he ran out of gas once on the next
>> hill in. So, got to Sheetz, got a gas can, a gallon of liquid gold,
>> and a frozen coke. Feeling pretty good- and I had reading so I was
>> getting work done. Walked back- got another lift about 1/8 mile to
>> the van- and spilled the last of the coke slush on the poor guy's
>> dashboard getting in.. sheesh. Feeling pretty bad- but he insisted no
>> worries- he was a dealer and that truck was to be detailed soon
>> anyway. Put the gas in the bus- and on the bus and on me because of
>> very weird and complicated little gas can with squeeze handle. Got in
>> van and drove uneventfully back to the Sheetz to fill up. Thinking,
>> maybe I'll treat it to nice gas for putting up with me (and to see if
>> I can make better than 25mph up the hill to our house). Pump clicks
>> off and I go in to order a sandwich. Look out the window and see a
>> shiny puddle under a petitely piddling Vanagon and try to ignore it.
>> Got my food, go out to start it. Nothing. Churning, no catching,
>> though. I clean terminals. I pull the aux. battery to fin it is dead
>> and my wife borrowed my jumpers. Luckily there was an Advance four
>> blocks away, so carried battery over there where it tested dead as a
>> doornail. Bought another battery, carried it back (thinking wish I
>> could remember all the battery group numbers I'd heard about). Put it
>> in the van and fires up- but battery light is on. I stop at another
>> Sheetz and threaten to tighten the alternator belt but find I'm
>> missing the one socket that will fit. Got back in and light is
>> off.... Well, that was my Vanagon day- all in all, not bad. This is
>> the sort of van trouble I can deal with.
>> Oliver Mueller-Heubach
>> groundhogging@mac.com
Oliver Mueller-Heubach
groundhogging@mac.com
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