Date: Mon, 27 Dec 2010 09:39:16 -0500
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: engine dies while driving - possible causes?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
Battery-alternator problems usually offer other symptoms before shutting the engine down. If the starter cranks the engine normally then the battery is not dead. I would start by having the ignition system checked. The Hall sensor in the distributor is common failure. Also the power circuit is suspect . From the key switch ignition power goes in-out of the fuse box. Both circuit in the and the connections can fail. The two appropriate wires can be jumped together.
Hope this helps
Dennis
Sent from my Windows Phone
-----Original Message-----
From: Joy Hecht
Sent: Monday, December 27, 2010 9:04 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: engine dies while driving - possible causes?
> Hi folks,
>
> I was going to take my van to Washington yesterday, but I'm having a problem
> - thank goodness my friends in NJ let me take their second car instead!
> (and thank goodness I missed the blizzard in NJ)
>
> The symptom is that the engine dies. This happened in October (when I was
> heading out to Westies at Watkins - some might remember that I showed up 12
> hours late due to van trouble). I started to drive, stopped at a stop sign,
> and the engine died and wouldn't start again. In October I had it towed to
> the local repair place (which has worked on my van before, they seem to know
> what they are doing). They replaced the alternator. I drove to Watkins
> Glen & back with no trouble.
>
> Since then, the van has mostly been parked in my friends' driveway in NJ -
> they haven't been driving it. In November I came back to NJ from overseas.
> Headed out somewhere and the engine died again. But then five minutes later
> restarted, I drove maybe 50 miles with no trouble. Then the poor van sat
> for another four weeks. Last week I figured I should check it - took her
> out on a short errand, no problems.
>
> Then yesterday morning before heading to DC I figured I'd let her warm up a
> bit - she sat running for 5-10 minutes. Then I got in, was just sitting in
> the van and the engine died. Started up without trouble, so I drove around
> the block, but it died again en route - then started up okay. So I parked
> her back in the driveway, dumped my stuff in my friends' car, and headed to
> DC.
>
> I'm guessing (based on not much knowledge) either that I need a new battery
> or that the alternator they put in is bad. But are there other problems
> that might cause this? I'm about to go overseas again for another four
> weeks, but I'd like to get it fixed before I go.
>
> Suggestions?
>
>
>
> Joy
| 
