Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2009 10:00:54 -0500
Reply-To: Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: Engine stutters, tach nosedives. Then, just as suddenly,
it's normal again.
In-Reply-To: <49A89593.3060905@pottsfamily.ca>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Greg, I was having this problem and it progressively got worse over
time. In my case it turned out to be the hall sensor in the
distributor. I replaced this and have been fine ever since.
However it can also be the ECU since they are known for having bad
solder joints and since they have the coil driver (ignition module)
built in you can see how this can cause cutting out.
The big problem is the problem being intermittent. I had this problem
rear it's ugly head on the coldest day of the winter for two winters.
The first time I replaced the ECU and changed the fuel filter and it
seemed to go away.
The second time it got to a point where the van would no longer run and
I swapped in a known good distributor and found the problem.
Let me know if we can help you further. I have rebuilt ECUs in stock
for $250 and rebuild distributors as well (or you can buy the hall
sensor only and rebuild your own).
Hope this helps,
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com
Greg Potts wrote:
> Hi Volks,
>
> A couple of times in the past two months I've had stutters at highway
> speed that remind me of the time the coil went bad in my baywindow
> camper. And when it happened last week I just happened to be looking at
> the tach; and watched it spike briefly towards zero. Definitely an
> ignition event rather than fuel delivery.
>
> This morning it was raining on the way into work, and it happened twice.
> And then again later in the morning on my way to a service call. The
> first two times it happened the engine died for 2-3 seconds, and the
> tach was flatlined even though the engine was still turning. The third
> time was just a short blip, more like when I first saw the problem.
>
> I suspect the coil or the hall sensor; though Mark Dearing at Salem
> Import suggested it could also be the ECU.
>
> At work this afternoon I took a close look at the engine compartment,
> and when I checked the coil wire going into the distributor cap was
> sitting about 1/2" high on the post. I pushed it down flush on the cap
> and since then (35-40 miles) the problem hasn't recurred.
>
> So what do you'all think? Was it just a loose plug wire, or are there
> deeper issues lurking?
>
>
> Happy Trails,
>
> Greg Potts
> 1973/74/79 Westfakia "Bob the Tomato"
> 1987 Wolfsburg Weekender Hardtop
> www.busesofthecorn.com
> www.pottsfamily.ca
>
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