Date: Fri, 6 Aug 2010 15:01:36 -0600
Reply-To: "Mike \"Rocket J Squirrel\"" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "Mike \"Rocket J Squirrel\"" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Mystery engine cutouts
In-Reply-To: <060c01cb35a6$fb416000$6401a8c0@PROSPERITY>
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Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
<lecture about not messing with stuff until home snipped because yeah, I
know the wires are old, but I wanted to get home so I took my chances
that I would not break one but yeah, Scott is right . . . anyway>
> do you have a tach ?
> I suspect not, but if you do it's a great diagnostic thing because when
> it looses power..
> if it's igntion, the tach will drop to zero while the engine is still
> turning , even though there's no power and it's not actually running.....
> that tells you it's igntion.
>
Good point, I forgot to mention. I do have a tach and noticed that when
the engine cut out, the tack did not drop like a stone, but revved down
as the engine revved down. From this I deduced that the coil was getting
its pulses, but of course that doesn't mean they were reaching the
plugs. But from this information I decided that ignition did not seem to
be the problem. With the sudden "lean-out" of the mixture, my suspicions
were either ECU getting all kind of hinky, or a fuel delivery problem.
or could something have gotten fishy with the advance?
> On this one ..
> my mind is drawn to fuel system , since it's under load when hot .
> but it can be many things of course.
It boggles my mind.
> wd-40 on the throttle couldn't have hurt.
I figured as much, but since there is this foot-off-throttle switch that
tells the ECU to cut the fuel delivery it was worth looking at, although
I could not imagine any way that gummy throttle bits could cause that
switch to be closed when the foot was on the throttle. But what the heck.
> and ..
> the touchy delecate part to me lately ..
> is the 25 year old wiring harnesses ..
> on a 1.9 both Igntion wiring harness, and main fuel injection harness..
> and 1.9 distributors ..
> they seem a little dodgey to me lately a lot.
I had a spare dizzie cap and rotor, but my highly-evolved squirrel sense
said those were unlikely to be at fault. I still think fuel.
High temperatures, engine at pretty high rpm, high loading on engine.
List members have p-mailed postulating a failing fuel pump or bad gas.
It has been suggested that the intake side of the fuel filter be
examined to see if anything funny turns up.
> and hey ....as long as you are never actually stuck or dead in the water, what's a little hiccup or momentary loss of power now and then ? !!
> ( just joking )
I try to view it that way, a small hiccup is not the end of the world or
anything, but my imagination quickly turns that small hiccup into the
precursor signal that the engine is about to die for good. Or the tires
to fall off, or something.
--
Rocky J Squirrel
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
Bend, OR
KG6RCR
