Date: Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:31:40 -0400
Reply-To: greg@POTTSFAMILY.CA
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Greg Potts <greg@POTTSFAMILY.CA>
Subject: Re: Quick troubleshooting question
In-Reply-To: <AANLkTinHjuq1K1mX2pmtJ8CHjiwekvOnqxBBzqDcBHW8@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1
Hi Aaron,
A fuel pressure gauge is a LOT cheaper than a new pump. Yes, you will need
a new pump eventually; so it's your call.
The O2 sensor is a very likely culprit; it probably got fouled by the rich
running. Unplugging it will help smooth things out. The coolant temp
sensor is another potential culprit and it's also cheaper than the pump.
Happy Trails,
Greg Potts
www.pottsfamily.ca
WWW.BUSESOFTHECORN.CA <--- NEW .CA DOMAIN!!!
1987 Wolfsburg Weekender hardtop Vanagon
1973 Westfakia "Bob the Tomato"
> I didn't change anything and the van starts and idles just fine, revs in
> neutral just fine, but as soon as I start driving off, too much throttle
> feels like I turned off the key. Makes it tough with all of our little
> hills
> around here. You can only go so slow in 1st.
>
> The issue may be related to one that we had while coming back from moab.
> The
> 1500 miles there were completely uneventful. Coming back, the van was
> running terribly on our way over soldier pass. Pulling over to check
> things
> out revealed black soot coming from the tailpipe, telling me that we had a
> rich issue. I tried to figure that out, but with the family in the van ,
> night coming and limited abilities, I got it into a shop that found a
> broken
> ground wire on ECU pin 19. After that, the van ran for the next several
> hundred miles or so but did have some slight hesitation/bucking at times
> that we had never noticed before. After getting home, it was driven for
> just
> a bit and then (with no changes to anything) suddenly started with the
> current no power after 1/4 throttle.
>
> So, I drove it into my garage, pulled it out a few times to see if it had
> cured itself (just kidding) and now need to deal with it.
>
> So, my plan is to:
> 1. Unplug O2 sensor and try. Not sure that it will do anything as I
> thought
> that the O2 sensor was not in the mix until after XX seconds, but I'll try
> anyways since it's such a quick test. Perhaps the rich running killed it
> (it's new).
>
> 2. Change fuel filter and pump. Don't have pressure monitoring tools, but
> will make sure the FP and filter are OK. I may stick blow some air back
> through the tank outlet to make sure it's not a clogged outlet.
>
> 3. Start testing grounds. Has someone ever written up a guide to testing
> readings at the ECU connector? I can't remember if the bentley has a page
> on
> it or it it's scattered through all of the pages.
>
> 4. cry a little and start doing random things until the symptom changes.
>
> 5. Park it for another 2 months and repeat steps 1 - 4.
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