Date:         Fri, 5 Apr 2013 08:34:53 -0700
Reply-To:     Steven Johnson <sjohnso2000@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Steven Johnson <sjohnso2000@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: it just stops! What do I do? - was Spare Fuel Pump Saves the
              Day
In-Reply-To:  <515e1d00.4a1ab60a.0dda.ffffa0dd@mx.google.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

There is a quote in the "Idiot's Guide" book by John Muir that talks about
not being
afraid to do some investigation into whatever your problem is.   But I
think you have
to temper that with your skill set and knowledge base.   However, in this
day and age
we have much more access to people who can help you even when you are out on
the road.  This, of course, assumes you have cellphone reception.   There
is a "Search
and Rescue Squad" group that is explicitly created for these kinds of
problems that will
do whatever they can, within reason, to help a person out that is
stranded.

That being said, if you want to be able to diagnose and fix your own
problems you're going
to have to become more familiar with your vehicle and be willing to get
your hands dirty
and start tinkering like the rest of us old codgers (sp?)  who have wrestle
with a bolt
or two.   And as we get older wrestle with whether or not we want to bother
with it anymore....

Steven
91 Westy


On Thu, Apr 4, 2013 at 5:37 PM, Rob <vwrobb@gmail.com> wrote:

> The engine just dies... John Muir had instructions in his book (is it
> out of gas? Go check) but I suspect many here have not even heard of
> (this) Mr Muir.
> What about the person out there who doesn't know their way around the
> waterboxer? Is there any hope for them besides cell phone
> reception?  Let's say they invest in these spare parts & a Bentley
> what can they do besides hand them to a mechanic after they have been
> towed in?
>
>
> Is there any chance of coming up with a list of things to do,
> specific things so someone might be able to pull them self out of this jam?
> Sort of an Engine stops or will not start list...
>
>
> In this case the fuel pump it didn't make any noise & David knew to
> listen for that, then it did & then it didn't. There he had something
> to fix and the part to fix it with! If it hadn't made noise I'd have
> pulled out the meter to check for voltage & a ground on the wires at
> the pump...
>
> Maybe this is just not something that can be done in a list, maybe
> it's already been done on The Samba?
>
> Anyone have any thoughts on this?
>
> Rob
> vwrobb@gmail.com
>
>
>
>
>
> At  4/3/2013 04:44 PM, david hardy wrote:
>
>> Just wanted to pass along a little advice to anyone doing long trips
>> to remote places in a
>> Vanagon...Last week we were about halfway through a 1200 mile trip
>> through Colorado and Utah -
>> just south of Natural Bridges National Monument on Rt 261, to be
>> exact. The Westy was running
>> great, not even a hiccup...when it suddenly wouldn't accelerate. I
>> just couldn't get the engine
>> to rev. Coasted to a turn-off - middle of nowhere, of course - where
>> it just died. I know my way
>> around the wasserboxer pretty well,
>>
>
> At  4/4/2013 12:36 PM,Dan N wrote:
> >>since we talk about carrying spare parts, here's my list. Most of them
> are
> old ones saved over as spare, for my van or help out a fellow on the
> road... I put a print out of this list in the glove box.
>
> - fuel pump
> - coil
> - dist cap and rotor
> - spark plugs wire set
> - spark plugs
> - ECU
> - AFM
> - set of 3 belts
> - ignition switch
> - assorted fuses
> - fuel line and assorted clamps
> - accelerator cable
> - fuel filter
> - oil filter
> - spare keys
> - temp2 sender
> - thermostat
>
> I plan to add:
> a Hall sender
> alternator brushes <<
>
>
> What about the person out there who doesn't know their way around the
> waterboxer? Is there any hope for them besides cell phone reception?
> The engine just dies... John Muir had instructions in his book (is it
> out of gas? Go check) but I suspect many here have not even heard of
> (this) Mr Muir.
>