Date:         Sun, 24 Jan 2010 00:38:27 -0600
Reply-To:     Tom Hargrave <thargrav@HIWAAY.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Tom Hargrave <thargrav@HIWAAY.NET>
Subject:      Re: STRANDED in South Florida - NEED TECH HELP-water in fuel
Comments: To: Rob <becida@comcast.net>
In-Reply-To:  <20100124061830.C420418A81B2@portia.ironicdesign.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

I agree - it could be water but he also mentioned that the Vanagon did not
quite run right that morning and this may point to something failing. I've
had engines run fine more than not once then not run after I turned them off
& tried re-starting. In each case the starter spun and most often the cause
has been electrical. A failing coil will do this and so will closing up
points or a open ignition capacitor in a points based system. The ignition
was strong enough to keep a warmed & running engine running but not strong
enough to start because of the lower battery voltage when starting. I know
that the Vanagon has electronic ignition but he could easily have an
ignition problem, or a grounding problem, or an issue with the FI system -
all electrical.

This and the rest of the conversations shows how incredibly hard remote
troubleshooting can be. What's obvious standing in front of an engine
becomes very difficult once the data you need to troubleshoot has been
processed through someone else's mind!

My best suggestion is to call someone local Monday morning. I know it's
expensive but so is the time he's spending fiddling with the system. He can
rent a car to entertain himself Sunday and Monday.

Thanks,
Tom Hargrave
256-656-1924

Our Web Sites:
www.kegkits.com
www.stir-plate.com
www.andyshotsauce.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Rob [mailto:becida@comcast.net]
Sent: Sunday, January 24, 2010 12:17 AM
To: Tom Hargrave; vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: RE: STRANDED in South Florida - NEED TECH HELP-water in fuel

That was the "it does happen" and the next step for the station was
to get the water out of the fuel.... but this doesn't help the guy
stuck in southern Florida.

If it's a lot of water the van won't run at all and it will show up
when it's drained out of the filter input side. If it's just a touch
of water (for me) it's showed up under higher power situations, it
showed up as a little water out of the filter.
If the fuel filter is clear I'd start at the basics.

Rob
becida@comcast.net


At  1/23/2010 10:02 PM, Tom Hargrave wrote:
>Not always true - a few years ago I pulled into a service station to fill
>one of my Mercedes diesels up and there was a big truck stranded in front
of
>the diesel pump. He had just pumped a tank of water.
>
>We had a very heavy rain that morning and enough water seeped into the
>underground tank to raise the water level up past the pickup tube.
>
>Thanks,
>Tom Hargrave
>256-656-1924
>
>Our Web Sites:
>www.kegkits.com
>www.stir-plate.com
>www.andyshotsauce.com
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf Of
>Rob
>Sent: Saturday, January 23, 2010 11:45 PM
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Re: STRANDED in South Florida - NEED TECH HELP-water in fuel
>
>Nobody PUTS water in the gas unless it's sabotage or theft. It does
>happen but it's not on purpose, storage facilities work to jeep water
>out of fuel.
>
>Rob
>becida@comcast.net
>
>At  1/23/2010 09:18 PM,Zoltan wrote:
> >I agree with this assumption.  It happened to me a few times when on the
> >road.  The freeway side gas stations can do it to you.  Once you are
gone,
> >you're on your own.  Towing, waiting for a garage to open until Monday,
> >sleeping in the van at a weird place, etc.  Maybe some fuel additive
would
> >solve it.
> >The gas stations are allowed to put in a certain amount of water into
their
> >tank, depending on how much alcohol there is in it, I think.
> >Zoltan
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Allan Streib" <streib@CS.INDIANA.EDU>
> >To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> >Sent: Saturday, January 23, 2010 7:47 PM
> >Subject: Re: STRANDED in South Florida - NEED TECH HELP
> >
> >
> >>Mark Drexler <mdrexler@ZING-NET.CA> writes:
> >>
> >>>Now just fueled up, and will start, but spits and burps, and can't get
> >>>all cylinders firing on start up. Feels like a lack of fuel delivery
> >>>to me.
> >>
> >>When running problems appear suddenly after a fuel fill, you have to
> >>consider that maybe you got a batch of dirty or watery fuel.  I think
> >>this is uncommon these days, but it can happen.
> >>
> >>Allan
> >>--
> >>1991 Vanagon GL