Date: Thu, 15 Apr 2010 09:28:12 -0700
Reply-To: neil n <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: neil n <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Now Preventative Maintenance, Was Do U carry spare ECU?
In-Reply-To: <00a101cadc96$c161d5e0$442581a0$@net>
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On Thu, Apr 15, 2010 at 5:25 AM, Tom Hargrave <thargrav@hiwaay.net> wrote:
> I quit carrying spares & tool boxes over 20 years ago. I decided I was "failing to plan" which kind of leads to "planning to fail". Also, I've driven 40,000 - 55,000 miles / year over the past 10 years, most of these miles in what most would consider old cars.
>
> But there is a method to my madness. I'm under the hood of my cars a lot. Also, I replace items like belts & hoses & coolant & brake fluid & brakes & tires when they should be serviced & not when they fail. Then I throw these old parts out because there is no need for a old spare unless the one on the car is about to fail. One other note - I replace belts & hoses with good parts, not the cheap $4.00 crap from the local McParts store. I believe the last Gates Green Stripe V belt I bought cost me $18.00 from NAPA while the "supposedly" identical belt from a AutoZone or Advance Auto was in the $4.00 range.
>
> I also inspect starters & alternators for brush wear. And I replace or inspect other accessory items when they rack up a lot of miles.
>
> Your ECU should fall in the inspect & repair / replace category. Disassemble it once every 10K miles & look at the wear stripe in the carbon. If it shows a lot of wear then relocate the wiper BEFORE IT FAILS. If you don't do this then you are "planning to fail" like I used to do 20 something years ago.
>
> This may seem like a lot of work but it's nice to know that you can take off on a long trip in a vehicle with over 200,000 miles on the clock and expect to arrive at the other end with no issues.
>
> I have had some road failures but with one exception, none were in my control and none could be fixed on the side of the road or with tools you'd usually carry in a toolbox. The one exception was the alternator in my 87 Mercedes 300SDL - the rear bearing locked up. But even with the alternator, I borrowed what I needed from AutoZone.
>
>
> Tom
> www.kegkits.com
>
>
I'm starting to understand that the parts and tools one carries
depends on ones needs and situations.
I was prompted to pull out my $5.00 (says so on the cover!) John Muir
'How To Keep Your VW Alive' book. The comment on $9/hour shop labour
made me chuckle. Anyhow, his Phase III list, which includes a $7.00
butane type torch set, is pretty huge. He admits as much by saying
"Don't worry about all this crap". But. With these items, he claims he
could "overhaul" a transmission if need be. He also says: "..... I
feel foolish loading that heavy box into the car, but when you're a
million miles from nowhere and happen to have just what you need to
make it back to the highway, it sure pays off." He also comments that
the tool box makes a nice stool when in camp. :^)
What's carried depends, in part, on where you go. (no noun
intended..... sorry Ben)
Personally, I carry parts that would help ensure I could at least limp
to the nearest legitimate road. Ironically, I don't have some of
these:
If failed, these would cause a no start:
- RPM sensor (Jetta engine)
- coil
- ECU (though the Mk3 might be a better design or not as "long in the
tooth" as the stock Vanagon engine)
- Hall unit on distributor
- spare wire and connectors, fuses.
- rotor/cap
- fuel pump
IMO, the room these parts take is relatively small. For the most part,
they're pretty user friendly to replace.
Likely I missed a few things, but for me, this is how I roll no matter
how much work I do on my rig. These parts can fail new or used, and
can be incorrectly installed by almost anyone. I doubt that even
dealer parts guarantee OEM quality all the time.
Neil.
--
Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"
http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines
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