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Date:         Thu, 25 Aug 2011 14:17:34 -0700
Reply-To:     Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject:      Re: Van Died @ 70 MPH. Why? (Jetta conversion)
Comments: To: neil n <musomuso@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=original

hi Neil, approaching it from a fuel-lines-on-engine getting too hot .. I'm still fairly skeptical on that .. but you could sure improve your fuel hose installation. Even run them through heat-shielding fleix-metal air hose perhaps.

heck ..run a fuel cooler if you're that concerned. what brand of fuel did that happen with ? ARco ? consider fuel brand, how much ethanol was in it, grade, etc. Andy water in the fuel ? few techs consider the fuel itself very much, is my impression.

and.. MIL coming on on steep grades when it's hot .. that's noteworthy. and codes stored ?

to hot air intake .. possible...but I can't go there too much. many engines draw their air from the engine compartment. is there a temp sensor in the air flow meter ? .. ( vanagon digijet and digifant have one ..though it's never ever thought about )

air mass meters don't have air temp sensors though.. they are so advanced over an air flow meter I can't say it enough. Like going from Carb to EFI ...in that one sensor ..that level of advance of AFM. ( air mass meter recongizes, or responds to humidy change, barometric pressure , air density from temp, etc....AFM is very dumb in comparison )

see what you have code-wise..if mil was on.. there might be something stored. and a direction to pursue. you could drive it with a fuel pressure guage on it .. the last vanagon that I worked on that had intermittant huge loss of power.. like would barely go at idle speed.. driving with fuel pressure gauge showed immediately, that when it was doing it, fuel pressure was like 10 psi rather than the 30 or so that's normal. that one btw...was in the winter..was a compbo of water in gas, weak fuel pump, and needed a new fuel filter too. mil on going up a steep hill.. I'd keep thinking about that. Get codes if possible. Alwasy try recycling the key in power loss situations with digifant EFI., while still in gear, engine turning. That oftem makes them pick right back up and re-go. Scott www.turbovans.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "neil n" <musomuso@gmail.com> To: "Scott Daniel - Turbovans" <scottdaniel@turbovans.com> Cc: <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com> Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2011 11:14 AM Subject: Re: Van Died @ 70 MPH. Why? (Jetta conversion)

Hey Scott.

It felt like a soft shut off; engine lost power "slowly" (in less than 2 seconds kind of "slowly") I don't have a tach. Didn't think of a tach being useful in that way. And no. Didn't try to restart while on freeway. Was focused on pulling over. Those are great tips though.

Here's a pic showing fuel line position. They reside up inside tub on engine cover, close to corner. I have since shortened curve of fuel hoses so they are not running over the belt ;)

http://sites.google.com/site/tubaneil2/FuelHoseThrottleBrack.jpg

It really felt like fuel starvation, but I don't have enough experience to know for sure. I am just about certain it's heat related. When I started this trip, while in hotter climes, the MIL would come on, when climbing steeper grades. At that time I wondered if intake was pulling too much over heated air from engine bay. (air box is at bottom of d-side pillar. There is NO snorkel or cardboard between air filter box and engine bay)

If intake was pulling too much really hot air, would this cause a stall?

One other indicator of a possible cause is that the FLAPS type corrugated wire cover over some of the wires (temp gauge, oil, etc.), has melted in some spots. The casing on the wires themselves is fine. These wires are close to the exhaust downpipes

pic of exhaust primaries. A few wires are about 6" away from rear pipe where it bends:

http://sites.google.com/site/tubaneil2/Exhaust3.jpg

Apparently I have several things to address. ;)

Neil.

On Thu, Aug 25, 2011 at 3:12 AM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote: > was is a 'hard' shut off... > ( like key just turned off at speed ) > > or was it 'soft' .... > and if tach-equipped what did it do ? > I have an idea right now you did not cycle the key to off and back on > while > it was still in gear with engine still turning. > ( amazing how well that makes my was-faltering 87 Wolfsburg 'turn back on' > ...or 'get power back' ..) > > Whether or not it does that means something ,............re-go with key > cycling, in gear. > > < the just turned on, or 'just got going mode' is stronger for a short > period in an EFI fuel system like this. > > > whether the shut off was abrupt or 'soft' .. > and the tach thing of course .. > all very useful clues. > > the welding, I doubt it, though it's possible. > the fuel hose heat, not with that unless it was a soft loss of power , > rather than hard cut off. > so please address these.. > and it will help. > Scott > www.turbovans.com > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "neil n" <musomuso@GMAIL.COM> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2011 12:18 AM > Subject: Van Died @ 70 MPH. Why? (Jetta conversion) > >

-- Neil n

65 kb image Myford Ready For Assembly http://tinyurl.com/64sx4rp

'81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco" http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/

Vanagon VAG Gas I4/VR Swap Google Group:

http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines


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