Date: Tue, 9 Jul 2013 20:54:24 -0400
Reply-To: James Eaton <jk_eaton@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: James Eaton <jk_eaton@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Wet Running Issues.....again :( (9)
In-Reply-To: <COL0-MC4-F8vJGgxo7D000fd4fa@COL0-MC4-F8.Col0.hotmail.com>
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> 1. Wet Running Issues.....again :( (9)
>
> Date: Tue, 9 Jul 2013 11:37:16 -0400
> From: Jeff Lincoln <magikvw@GMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Wet Running Issues.....again :(
>
> OK, so it rained pretty hard here yesterday. I made the 20+ mile commute
> home just fine - went into the house for about 30 min or so and then headed
> back out to a meeting.
>
> I drove maybe a quarter mile, stopped at the store, then made it maybe
> another quarter mile and she quit running at the stop light. Would not
> restart. I had to go about my business so I didn't make it back to the bus
> for about 1 1/2 hrs.
>
> I didn't know what to do - everything looked dry in the engine - she just
> wouldn't start. So removed the coil wire and sprayed some WD-40 on the
> cable, the coil, and the center of the dist cap. After some trying she
> finally started - ran like crap - stalled a few times - FInally got her to
> idle. She idled real rough. If you tried to give her any throttle she would
> die out. If you feathered the throttle and gradually got it up to around
> 3000RPM you could hold it there.
>
> After doing this dance for a bit she finally idleded normal. I drove her
> home - keeping the RPM's up because if it dropped down around 2000k or
> lower she would want to stall out.
>
> I let her idle at home for a while and started her later on and she seemed
> OK. THis morning she ran rough and didn't want to get up to speed (power
> loss and attempting to stall at higher RPM). Once I feathered the throttle
> and got her up to speed and RPM she ran fine the rest of the commute to
> work.
>
> All I can say is what the heck?!!!
>
> I went through this before. I was getting water in the gas tank. A new tank
> and all new seals later I thought i had this taken care of - I guess not.
>
> She has a new DIst Cap and Roter (and a good used ECU recently). The fuel
> pump is running (and doing the pre-pump as it should before starting).
>
> At this point I am not sure what to try next. I am thinking it's
> electrical. The only thing that isn't new is the coil and the plugs and
> plug wires.
>
> It only does this when it rains real hard and there is a lot of water on
> the road (lighter rains and snow do not cause this issue).
>
> So, oh wise list members, any suggestions on where I turn next?
> Thanks,
>
> Jeff
> '85 GL (Gertie)
> '78 Bus (Melissa) Patty's Bus
>
> ------------------------------
Given all the other things you've replaced, it's probably the plug wires. Once they're a few years old, they can develop microscopic cracks in the insulation, and where the wire meets the boot, sufficient to let in just enough moisture to let some voltage leak out and reduce the voltage available to spark plugs. What you're describing sounds exactly like the problems I used to have with plug wires in my '83 Rabbit - starts fine after being parked in the rain, but driving causes enough splashing up onto the engine to start shorting things out. Trouble starting, then wouldn't idle but would run, sort of at higher rpms.
The quick check is to spray WD-40 or other moisture displacer onto the plug wires when the no-start condition occurs. Leave the WD-40 work for a minute or two, then try starting. If the situation is considerably improved, then it's the plug wires.
I had to replace the plug wires on my Rabbit every three or four years because of this. The last set, which not Bosch but Japanese (Nippondenso?) lasted a bit longer than the Boschs. Now this was in Nova Scotia, where the cold and the road salt and sea salt in the air tended to make the insulation of the plug wires break down faster, but what you're describing sounds exactly the same.
James
Ottawa
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