Date: Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:28:21 -0500
Reply-To: Benny boy <huotb@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Benny boy <huotb@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Subject: Re: Hesitation, bucking,
rough idle then died. The paranoia begins...
Hi, it can be anything... sadly. And being paranoiac is quit normal, it's a
20+ yo vehicle, on top, it's a VW.
I lost 4 hours yesterday on my own van trying to find a low charging
problem, it was simply the main ground to transmission, the Subaru doesn't
use other ground than this one. As much as everything is done on my van, i
never cleaned the ground on the trany side... I was getting 12.9-13 volt at
the battery and 13.2 at the alternator. After, 14.1-3 everywhere.
And it's not because i don't take care of my van. This is my engine (picture
taken a few days ago) after 40,000km:
http://www.benplace.com/85rouge2/vanaru67_2008.jpg
From a bad Ignition switch to any kind of FI component.
But mostly a simple bad ground or signal wire.
Here is a simple way of finding problem:
Take a big screwdriver, start the engine, go in the back and move/tap all
wire/FI component around the engine. Even the harness on the firewall,
gently pry this one in different spot.
Open the black junction box on the left front firewall, move the wire
inside. Go tap (HARD) on the ignition switch, remover the plastic around:
http://www.benplace.com/dash/dash4.jpg
Also, gently tap on the AFM, idle control valve. Don't forget the ECU under
the rear seat (2.1L) and the infamous brown ground just beside this one!!
Lately, 2.1L gave me quite a few ECU related problem... not the ECU itself
but the big connector/ plug... yea, a simple remove and plug back.
Don't forget to check the idle control box hidden behind the rear right tail
light and on the 2.1, carefully check the wire going to the distributor.
WARNING: your playing around a running engine with belt and pulley, be
intelligent! No long scarf.
Good luck
Ben
http://www.benplace.com/
On Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:08:01 -0500, Mark A Kippert <vanagon@KIPPERT.COM> wrote:
>Thought I sent this this morning but I forgot to apply the vanagon
>list address. I gotta get used to doing that.
>Thanks for all the additional responses since John and Allan's.
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Thanks John (and Allan). At this time I'm thinking "never mind". It
>happened just the once (so far).
>
>After reading through many, MANY, posts in the archives with the same
>or similar problem, it is going to be difficult to track down until I
>experience the problem on a consistent enough basis to actually
>trouble shoot it.
>
>I saw many problems that were electrical/sensor based (ECU, AFM, O2,
>TPS, fuel pump, etc.), fuel (clogged filter, lines, injectors) exhaust
>(bad muffler), etc. I'm thinking electrical for now since it happened
>once and cleared up by turning of the ignition switch and starting it
>back up. I will keep the O2 sensor in mind. So until it happens on a
>regular basis, I don't want to waste the list members' time with a lot
>of speculation.
>
>In the mean-time, I'll do what every smart Vanagon owner should do,
>carry tools, a Bentley, spare parts (need to start stocking) and
>something warm to lay on!
>
>Thanks again and have a Happy Thanksgiving!!
>
>-Mark
>in Indy
>
>
>On Nov 27, 2008, at 8:36 AM, Ken Wilford wrote:
>
>> Mark, of course there is a laundry list of things this could be,
>> however
>> let's start with the usual suspect which is the oxygen sensor. Unplug
>> it and see if this helps. You will see a largish green wire that is
>> near the ignition coil with a single spade plug on it. Unplug this
>> from
>> the black wire that goes to the oxygen sensor and see if your symptoms
>> go away. If they do and the oxygen sensor hasn't bee replaced then I
>> would replace it. The van will run fine with this unplugged forever
>> but
>> you won't get as good fuel mileage as you would if you have a good one
>> hooked up.
>>
>> Let me know if I can help you further.
>>
>> Ken Wilford
>> John 3:16
>> www.vanagain.com
>>
>>
>> Mark A Kippert wrote:
>>> Time for the newbie's first issue :^)
>>>
>>> My Vanagon ('86 GL) has been running just fine for the few short
>>> trips
>>> I've made around the neighborhood until this morning, when I took a
>>> 30
>>> mile round trip, mostly on the highway. I stopped at a Volvo dealer
>>> to
>>> pick up a part (sigh, another project). Upon leaving I started the
>>> van, backed out of the parking space, started to pull away and
>>> experienced some bucking. Gave it more gas and the bucking stop but
>>> had practically no power. Gave it more gas (about half throttle) at
>>> which it continued to bog down and then died. My first thought was
>>> that I remembered reading about a similar problem on the list. The
>>> idle control valve came to mind.
>>>
>>> Anyhow, I turned the key off for a few seconds and then restarted the
>>> engine. Varoom, it fired right up, no hesitation, no bucking, no
>>> nothing. I drove away without a hitch. !?!?!?!? Is this a lone
>>> incident? A quirk? Or should I expect it to worsen? (the later I
>>> think).
>>>
>>> One more thing. As I'm driving home on the highway, averaging 60-65
>>> MPH, I notice a burp, or blip. It was as if someone flipped a switch
>>> off, then back on very quickly. It seemed to happen only under mild
>>> acceleration as I would compensate to keep the van at a consistent
>>> speed.
>>>
>>> Do these sound like symptoms of the same problem, or two separate
>>> issues?
>>>
>>> -Mark
>>>
>
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