Date: Sun, 9 May 2010 13:07:43 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Help with stalling van
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nice to see the good words..
re
My Vanagon (85) has lost it's mind i think.
I'll list below what i've recently changed but i could use some suggestions
as to what else to look at.
I honestly can't remember what the original issue was a few weeks ago but i
think it was losing power when driving.
Now, post all this recent work, it's driving like it's pulling another truck
behind it and today it cut out when i was accelerating again! My mechanics
think i'm crazy because they drove it and it was fine the other day. she
ain't super fast but she usually has a bit more gusto going up hills!
here's the list:
flushed engine
changed filters
spark plugs o.k.
replaced rad thermo switch
cool lev sensor replaced (system bled)
changed 2 relays (fuel sys and forget...ignition?
replaced fuel pressure regulator
checked gas pedal (needed to be re-secured)
cleaned starter motor connections. (starts right off now)
help???
~karen~
"baby" 1985 Vanagon GL
One, I would suggest a more diagnostic approach ..
a lot of inspecting, testing, running checks outlined in Bentley that might
apply, and generally try to find things that are out of spec.
and ...
man, does it help to have another van to test-run parts, like say the Air
Flow Meter on, or a known-good air flow meter to try.
Those usually do not cause 'loss of power' ..usually they cause uneven
running.
for this 'delayed gratification' ... a long ago customer's term ...luv it
...
need to be sure fuel filter is reasonably clean, fuel tank is not
restricted, fuel pump is decent engough, and fuel pressure is always there.
it's not too common, but for loss of power always need to consider if
exhasut is restricted. A failing cat can clog intermittantly and be hard to
identify. Mufflers can mess up too, for restriction, though I have never
seen a vanagon due that.
there is such a things as 'vanagon syndrome' and it can happen in 1.9's I've
heard.
next time it does it, try stopping, shut off the engine, then start it back
up. If it runs OK then until it does it next time...
then you thing of possible electronic hebbie-geebies.
Temp sensor ...no indication that you have a problem there, but that's such
an important input connetctions to it ( temp sensor II ) should be
considered. I don' find them actually out of spec much, but I read about
people replacing them any time they have any weirdness and reporting good
results. Just a thought there.
It is just a 'blockage or leakage' of fluids or electrons"
.......litterally. Fluids include gases like exahust, air , vaccuum etc
also, not just liquids. Finding the blockage or leakages or plurals of them
is the big trick of course.
Shoot , I have one near cherry 'L' model two tone 84 Vanagon ...( FS btw )
near flawless body in a gorgeious cream white on top, and soft blue on the
bottom...
spend days making it run right, I even finally put in another entire ECU
wiring harness - just didn't seem to repsond to anything I tried.
And then it quit on me half a mile from my shop ....grrr...
on that one, I finally found it's a fuel delivery problem ...popped on
another fuel pump, and it has a clean-enough small fuel filter on it ( it's
always better to convert to the large metal can fuel filter that 86 and
later vans use ) ..and got it running OK .....and havn't worked on it for a
while.
I suspect the fuel tank that van actually right now, unless the better used
fuel pump fixed it. I put that project aside for a while.
They can be tricky...but it's in there somewhere.
I can't see how anyone can really fix vanagons without some known-good parts
to try on it.
Sometime it IS 'a part' ............a unit or component.....sometimes it's
in the wires or fluid systems .
In some repair manuals...
the actual test for some faults is 'try a known good unit' ...like for the
ecu.
So it really helps to have at least some known good used units on hand.
good luck !
Scott
www.turbovans.com
