Date: Sun, 26 Jun 2011 00:46:54 -0700
Reply-To: David M <covrambles@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David M <covrambles@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Vibration when radiator fan on high speed
In-Reply-To: <151201cc32d1$bedcb230$6401a8c0@PROSPERITY>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
What you are saying makes sense, but...
I had multiple things worked on at once because it is an extremely complicated and inconvenient for me to take my van to the (nearest) repair shop that knows anything about Vanagons. I live about 5-6 miles or so from the shop. To get there I drive my van, to get back I have to walk 1/2 mile in 110 degree heat, then wait for a bus that runs only every 1/2 hour. I take 2 separate buses (about an hour) , then walk another 1/2 mile back home. Picking up the van is the reverse, two 1/2 mile walks, 2 buses about an hour to an hour and a half traveling and waiting times. Most bus stops have no shade from the Arizona sun. The shop had my van from Monday AM to Friday AM, four full days.
-David ('87 Wolfsburg)
--- On Fri, 6/24/11, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@turbovans.com>
Subject: Re: Vibration when radiator fan on high speed
To: "David M" <covrambles@YAHOO.COM>, vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Date: Friday, June 24, 2011, 6:49 PM.
I would, sincerely, be careful about doing to many repairs or changes at once.
If it had been just the AC...
you could just focus on how that's working and if high on the rad fan is right..
( many cars are wired so when AC comressor clutch is engaged, rad fan comes on ..
though not on 'full roar' that I am aware of. )
so they worked on 4 main areas..
AC
emissions and oil change,
shift linkage,
and gas tank.
It's likely you would have better results if you didn't ask them to do those four areas all at once.
besides, in a regular car repair shop ...
there isn't time to do it carefully and really truly right.
You increase the odds of successs by not asking them to take on too many repairs or tasks in one visit.
if the goal on 'emissions' was to get within spec, and change the oil..
that by itself would have been one thing to tackle in one shop visit.
now you have at least two problems.. i.e. it's not really done.
Fan on 'full roar' may not be right ..
and it doesn't go for beans when you tell it too.
they will even have to do a lot of explaining, or work on it some more. ..
or you'll have to take what you have right now ..
which doesn't sound satisfactory.
I'm serious too ..
having worked 'in the trenches' countless thousands of days on 'regular ole foreign car repair ' ..
it's not fun when there are issues to deal with on a car from one end to the other. It's just more streesful than it is anyway .........like to have it done right by 5 o'clock ...
that's insanely hard as it is, never mind numerous issues to deal with all at once.
It dilutes their focus.
keep it simple for them .....'what ah'm sayin.'
and it increases the odds for success .
scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message ----- From: "David M" <covrambles@YAHOO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, June 24, 2011 4:33 PM
Subject: Vibration when radiator fan on high speed
Just paid $1200 to have my van worked on (a/c fixed, fuel tank resealed, gearshift linkage, oil change, emissions). Mechanic said fan should be on high-speed whenever a/c is on, is this true?
Now I notice a really bad vibration (can feel it thru pedals) when a/c fan is on high.
Could this vibration have to do with fuel tank being dropped and re-installed?
I dont know if fan was ever on high before but I never noticed this vibration back when the a/c worked before (10 years ago).
Also van now has no pick-up whatsoever, I press the gas pedal and it takes forever for me to take off.
Regarding a/c all mechanic did was fill it with freon R12 (3 1/2 pounds cost $262.50).
It was $400 in labor to do the gas tank with me supplying the kit of parts.
The oil change cost me $106.50 because the drain plug stripped and labor to install a helicoil was $80.
I have to take van back on Tuesday for them to check if any of the valuable freon has leaked out.
Its so frustrating that whenever I take my van in to be worked on., it always comes back with the original problem fixed but with a new set of problems appearing!
-David (1987 Wolfsburg)
