Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2011 08:30:31 -0400
Reply-To: T Collins <tonycollin@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: T Collins <tonycollin@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Help! Hesitation on the road!
In-Reply-To: <655C31B5-8709-4AE2-A673-BAF226B3A20A@verizon.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Hi Daniel,
I like to share with you what my 85 did. I would cruse at high way speeds
70mph here in Michigan. The van would sort of hiccup, tremble, hesitate and
something just did not feel right. It was like the van wanted to quite at
mid flight.
It was just enough of a feeling that lasted a split second to make me
worried that this was the dreaded vanagon syndrome. I also had a exhaust
leak at the time. So I was certain that the leak pre O2 sensor had something
to do with this.
I fixed what I knew was certainly wrong. New exhaust, O2 and temp2 sensors,
replaced fuel filter the (box one) and added the can after the fuel pump.
Some of this helped, but at the end the van got so bad that I could start it
and it would idle, but as soon as any load was applied the van would bog
down and die.
I also messed with the AFM getting a know working one to swap in and test
and still noting!!!
long story short and with me absolutely frustrated i dropped it off at the
local VW independent shop. The old salty-dog mechanic there blew some air
into the (slow, steady stream) into the outlet (fuel pump side) of the tank,
until he could hear bubbles. Then plugged everything ups and the van has
been running great for 2 years now.
There was accumulated crud in the gas tank blocking the delivery of fuel to
the pump starving it. These happened slowly at first the hesitation at
highway speeds, and then later magnified by the van sitting while I tackled
the exhaust.
The key I should have been listening for was that the pump was being
extraordinarily load and working overtime to get any fuel. I'm amazed in
retrospect that I did not burn it out.
The fuel delivery can be a simple thing to assess before moving to the spark
and air area of things. If your pump is load it maybe worth checking, and
seeing if some compress air with a low or partially drained fuel tank makes
a difference to your situation.
The caveat is that there is no way of knowing how much crap build up we have
in our old tanks until we take then out and inspect. Not a job I want to do
on the side of the road.
I hope this helps! I keep recalling to try and see the issues from the
simplest to the largest , before just tossing money at it and replacing
parts that are potentially good.
Good luck,
Tony
On Mon, Aug 8, 2011 at 6:27 PM, Daniel Rotblatt <d.rotblatt@verizon.net>wrote:
> I'm leaving Sante Fe on the return leg to L.A. The van is hesitating
> while on freeway. Momentary hesitations - randomly every few seconds.
>
> Otherwise running great. When I had it tuned up it had trouble
> starting and mechanic put in new fuel pump relay.
>
> Thoughts? Just pit in gas also...was running fine before that. Bad
> gas? Fuel pump?
>
> Dan
> '85 Vanagon
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
--
82 Scirocco "Rodolfo"
85 Vanagon "El Guapo"
http://groups.google.com/group/wash-co-vws2<http://groups.google.com/group/wash-co-vws2?lnk=gcimh>
(new)