Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2011 05:48:05 -0500
Reply-To: Mike <mbucchino@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mike <mbucchino@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Re: Strange Vanagon problem in Belize
In-Reply-To: <889309427.1275814.1294890131355.JavaMail.root@sz0073a.westchester.pa.mail.comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="utf-8"; reply-type=original
Do you have a fuel pressure gage? Can you put the injectors spraying into a
coffee can to observe flow and patterns? Have you gone thru the Bentley "No
Start" procedures? This stuff should answer some of those questions, and
hopefully solve it, or at least put you on the path.
Mike B.
-----Original Message-----
From: Ken Wilford
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 10:42 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Strange Vanagon problem in Belize
So we made it down to Belize fine yesterday and I went straight to work on
the customer's 87 Wolfsburg. The wiring harness was a mess since the last
several mechanics thought it was the source of the problems with the van,
and they had hacked and spliced it pretty much to death. I had a brand new
harness that I brought with me and so in about 45 mins I had it installed
and thought this would fix the van. However, the van still will not start.
It will crank over and try to fire but it almost seems super flooded to me.
You can smell gas, the fuel pump is coming on. I installed a known good AFM
I brought with me. Nothing. I installed a known good distributor and ECU and
still nothing. Then I checked the readings of the temp II with my digitool
and it seemed in the good range. The van has all new injectors and I put new
plugs wires on, and cap and rotor. It does do something strange which may
help diagnose it. If you pinch the fuel return hose after the fuel pressure
regulator with a pair of pliers the van will start but it runs bad and idles
really high. I installed a new fuel pressure regulator but that didn't do
anything either. I am thinking that maybe the fuel pump isn't delivering
enough volume to the engine and pinching the return line after the regulator
is helping pressure build up enough for the van to run, but that is just a
thought. The engine is a brand new rebuild, however it is a GEX (which I
didn't know about until I got down here and saw the paperwork). My only
other thought is that there is some type of valve issue, but that doesn't
explain the motor starting when you pinch the return line. Any thoughts or
advice would be appreciated. This van has been to three or four mechanics
down here and they have replaced a bunch of parts on it, trying to get it to
work. I think I am the last chance it has of getting revived.
I will post pictures of our trip and then send a link to the list. It is
very nice down here, temps in the 80s during the day and dipping down into
the upper 60s at night.
Thanks in advance for any advice or thoughts you can give,
Sincerely,
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com
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