Date: Fri, 18 Oct 2013 21:27:38 -0700
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: What IS Vanagon Syndrome, exactly?
In-Reply-To: <9F3A364E-B283-4F64-B524-F9168B66FBF5@shaw.ca>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Interesting...My intake is not stock by any means....I use the vanagon air
cleaner/afm unit but it has on the other end (going around to the I-4
intake) some 4" aluminum irrigation pipe welded into a long plenum that
connects to the air filter/afm unit. The vanagon air cleaner sits up in
passenger side front corner, the plenum runs across the whole engine hole
then turns towards the bumper and hooks to the throttlebody there. On the
other side of the stock Vanagon cleaner I have some heater/brake cooling
air duct that is hose clamped to the intake of the air cleaner then goes
out and up the D-pillar on the passenger side....
So if the 'unfortunate airflow meter harmonics' theory is indeed the
cause of Vanagon Syndrome, my set up is unlikely to duplicate those
harmonics...it's a lot longer in each 'leg' and of course the motor sucks
air quite differently than a WBX motor...
Hopefully, the fellow who was experiencing running problems will find
the cause and re-post...and hopefully, I will just now know "something"
about vanagon syndrome but not gain any first hand knowledge on my 5th trip
down and back on US 395 to the Mexican border area from Washington state..
On Fri, Oct 18, 2013 at 7:14 PM, Alistair Bell <albell@shaw.ca> wrote:
> I had heard of an explanation for the syndrome, I don't know how true it
> is. Story goes that sometimes, under the right conditions, the airflow
> through the afm was such that it caused the arm vane to oscillate and
> result in a confusing signal to the computer. The capacitor fix was meant
> to dampen those signals.
>
> If this explanation was true, then one might expect different air intake
> set-ups to differ in the frequency of the syndrome. I never have
> experienced it with either an I4 digifant in my vanagon (totally non stock
> air intake before afm) or in my wbx syncro with stock air intake (not with
> fixed harness)
>
> Alistair
>
>
>
> > On Oct 18, 2013, at 2:12 PM, mark drillock <mdrillock@COX.NET> wrote:
> >
> > I have pulled a lot of the VW dealer syndrome harnesses from Jettas and
> > Golfs with Digifant at the junkyards so certainly those cars had issues
> > and somebody thought that was a solution.
> >
> > Improved seat of the pants running after unplugging the O2 sensor
> > doesn't always prove the O2 sensor should be replaced. There are many
> > other problems that can be masked when the ECU stops tying to correct
> > the exhaust reading it gets from the O2 sensor. You could just be
> > shooting the messenger. My car alarm used to go off every night after
> > closing time at the bar down the street. Unhooking the alarm kept it
> > from waking me up but that didn't mean I could sleep soundly.
> >
> > Mark
> >
> > Daniel O Stevens wrote:
> >> Don, I don't believe the Digifant I4s get Vanazgon syndrome..
> >> But can get a very similar symptom if/when the O2 fails to read/adjust
> properly.
> >> And you get severe bucking.. in mine I unplugged the O2 and that set it
> into rich mode and no more bucking and no real driveability issues outside
> a slight increase in fuel consumption.
> >>
> >> So with a 1.8l I4 van that bucks try to disconnect the O2 wire before
> jumping to any conclusions.
> >> If it stops the symptom, then that's in need of replacement.
> >>
> >> Dan in NY
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Date: Fri, 18 Oct 2013 07:44:34 -0700
> >> From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
> >> Subject: What IS Vanagon Syndrome, exactly?
> >>
> >> Like the subject says. I just saw a few posts about a Digifant
> inline
> >> VW powered vanagon traveling the southwest, like I soon will be doing
> >> again... He says he's having engine cutting-out problems and someone
> >> suggested he is experiencing "Vanagon Syndrome".. I've seen this
> mentioned often before, but it got my attention this time, since this
> fellow traveler
> >> seems to be driving a similar Vangaon to mine. I 'assumed' us inline
> >> drivers were immune from Vanagon Syndrome...but that may not be the
> case?
> >>
> >>
>
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