Date: Sun, 8 Aug 2010 09:16:55 -0700
Reply-To: Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Mystery engine cutouts
In-Reply-To: <4C5ECE9C.5020002@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
"they are not going to be paying any claims because the driver swerved to avoid an oncoming car so was not at fault."
Gotta love it. "Control of the vehicle" is the issue here, I'd imagine. Someone failed at that and it sounds like the police acted appropriately. Good luck!
Stephen
--- On Sun, 8/8/10, Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
From: Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Mystery engine cutouts
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Date: Sunday, August 8, 2010, 11:34 AM
IN OTHER NEWS, The insurance company for the driver of the car that ran
into the baywindow (the guy that caused the collision) has told the
owner of the baywindow that they are not going to be paying any claims
because the driver swerved to avoid an oncoming car so was not at fault.
Police report cites him for "careless driving." He verbally said that he
was looking down when driving and when he looked up he saw the oncoming
car. Whatever. It's not clear to me how the insurance company doesn't
feel it needs to pay for damages when their driver was driving
carelessly. I've been out of town and will talk to that insurance
company claims adjuster tomorrow.
--
Rocky J Squirrel
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
Bend, OR
KG6RCRs
> --- On *Fri, 8/6/10, Mike "Rocket J Squirrel"
> /<camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>/* wrote:
>
>
> From: Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Mystery engine cutouts
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Date: Friday, August 6, 2010, 10:54 AM
>
>
> Okay, so on my trip of nearly 2,000 miles of travel from here to
> Flathead Lake, MT. and back, something very strange happened yesterday.
>
> I filled up with gas in Pendleton, Ore., and turned south on highway
> 395. There are four or five summits to climb between Pendleton and John
> Day, Ore., my night's destination.
>
> It was a hot day. I was climbing the first steep summit in 2nd gear
> (auto tranny) at about 3800 rpm - this is my usual steep climb routine.
> Suddenly the engine cut out. After about four seconds, it came back to
> life. It did that two more times before reaching the summit. It did that
> going up each summit thereafter.
>
> The timing between cutouts was anywhere between 30 seconds and 60
> seconds. The cutouts only lasted three to five seconds, but that's
> plenty long when climbing up a steep grade.
>
> There may have been cutouts on the flats, but I didn't feel them.
>
> In all cases, I was in 1st or 2nd (depending on grade) with engine
> between 3,000 and 3900 rpm.
>
> Every time it cut out, my O2 monitor display shot over to the left,
> showing the exhaust mixture was completely lean. Like the fuel had been
> cut off.
>
> I was a nervous wreck by the time I reached camp, worrying about the two
> more climbs between me and home I had to drive today.
>
> I didn't sleep well. But today, it did not cut out once, the climbs were
> of the same difficulty.
>
> Here's what was different:
>
> 1. Before starting out this morning, I swapped in a spare ECU.
> 2. The day was 20 to 30 degrees (F) cooler than yesterday. Yesterday I
> was seeing 95F in the cabin.
> 3. I had a new tank of gas.
> 4. I sprayed WD-40 on the various springs and pivots and hawsers and
> pulleys on the throttle mechanism -- the throttle didn't feel to the
> hand like it was moving smoothly after several hours of dusty dirt road
> grime on it.
> 5. I checked the skinny little vacuum lines (1.9L) feeding the timing
> advance stuff on the dizzy and they looked fine.
>
> Too many things changed to be sure what the problem was and what fixed
> it. I didn't want to spend the day tinkering, just wanted to get home.
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