Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2014 23:03:53 -0800
Reply-To: "SDF ( Scott Daniel Foss )" <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "SDF ( Scott Daniel Foss )" <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Organization: Cosmic Reminders
Subject: Re: Volksiebus - 88 Transporter - Rough Running Engine
In-Reply-To: <52D8A918.9000104@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
LOL ..then that puts you in quite a pickle..
you own what can be a great vehicle...and 88 Vanagon ..
and you can't find a professional car mechanic/technician shop to work
on it ????
A subaru engine conversion is one solution to that 'problem.'
maybe move to a more civilized place perhaps ?
Between Ca, OR, and WA and Colorado to name just 4 states..
there are few hundred professional shops that work on them.
and as fuel injected cars go....waterboxer vanagons are 'lawn mower'
simple, REALLY.
not that they can't sometimes have petty illusive problems.
95 % of the time it's straight forward though.
all you need fixed is the....... 'blockage or leakage of fluids or
electrons", or mulitples of those that may be occurring. \'
don't forget that fluids are not just liquids.
Here...see if this makes any difference..
'many people' do not clearly grasp what the diagnostic process is.
say you see a tail light that's out.
what you naturally do it come up with a theory to explain that
..*something that matches the symtom.*
typically people think 'oh, it's a burnt out light bulb.'
Typically .and this drives me nuts ..they run and out and a light bulb
for a first step. WRONG !
The right thing to do ..step 2 after coming up with a theory or
explanation for the symptom ..is
TEST your theory.
for example, take the blub out and look at it carefully.
or check the fuse .
or try another bulb..
and you keep doing that over and over until you get it.
come up with a theory/reason that matches the symptom ,
then test for that.
where The Breakdown in this process occurs is when you don't have a way
to test ..
say you think your AFM is wonky.
if you don't know to get the Bently out and do the tests in there..
or you don't have volt meter or whatever..
or a used AFM to try ..
your dead in the process right there.
and that is likely the problem here...don't understand the system enough
to come up with theories ( I can think if 20 or more ) about why it's
not running right ..
that's the first breakdown ..
the next one is not having a way to test your theory or reason.
BUT ..DO ..test all you can think of ..
say that bad gas suggestion.
Have you LOOKED inside the fuel filter and emptied out backwards to see
what's in it ??
How do you know there isn't water in your fuel ??
I'll stop here..and I didn't trim on purpose..
one of my online vanagon diagnosis sayings ..
'No amount of talking online will substiute for actually LOOKING and
TESTING stuff."
sure ..asking how to proceed ..that's fine ..
but at some point ..
there is just no substiute for 'hands on' acutally checking of stuff.
like reading the 02 output ...why not do that ?
there's also this ...sure ..we doubt 02 output has much to do with idle..
but when you don't know what else to check..
check stuff you can that even 'sort of' matches the symptoms.
you always start with the sypmtoms ...doctors do too. Or they test in
general for things out of whack.
scott
On 1/16/2014 7:52 PM, JRodgers wrote:
> On 1/16/2014 9:43 PM, SDF ( Scott Daniel Foss ) wrote:
>> re
>> Suspicion: Throttle body switches out of limits and need adjusting. "
>>
>> is it making contact at idle or not ?
>> it either is, or it isn't.
>> which one ?
>
> It idles beautifully! 800 rpm.
>
>>
>> if you need to know how to adjust it,
>> or how to tweak it when normal adjusting won't work anymore, just ask.
>
> Just might do that.
>>
>> There is just nothing like 'having everything in spec, and every feature
>> checked.'
>
> Agreed!
>>
>> if it's rough at idle..
>> you start by checking compression, and for intake leaks.
> Idle is smooth as silk.
>>
>> how are the injector spray patterns ?
> Dunno - but recently serviced.
>>
>> Does the O2 sensor have a decent output ?
>
> Dunno
>> if no..why isn't there a new one on the engine .?
>
> Just haven't gotten thee yet.
>
>> if yes, why isn't it connected ?
> I disconnected it to see if it made a different, It did not!!
>>
>> lol..reminds me of a time I didn't really want to work on a guys Jaguar
>> ..I asked him..
>> who's your regular jag mechanic ?
>> he said I was.
>> So who is your regular vanagon/waterboxer mechanic john ?
>
> Guess!! Uno numero!! at your service.
>
> Can't get garages around here to work on them.
>
> John
>>
>> On 1/16/2014 7:22 PM, JRodgers wrote:
>>> Rough engine - the latest pita I'm having to deal with on a string of
>>> many!! I'm on a roll!!
>>>
>>> Ok - hot or cold - engine starts and idles well.
>>>
>>> Conditions - ISV disconnected due to Idle issues
>>> O2 Sensor Disconnected to put ECU in default mode.
>>>
>>> Cold engine: starts easily, idles easily, but upon attempted
>>> acceleration it bucks, kicks, snorts, hiccups, coughs - finally
>>> smoothing out at speed.
>>>
>>> Warm engine: starts easily, idles easily, but upon attempted
>>> acceleration it bucks, kicks, snorts, hiccups, coughs - finally
>>> smoothing out at speed. Only the bucking isn't quite so bad. Occurs
>>> mostly on the initial acceleration after idling successful.
>>>
>>> Suspicion: Throttle body switches out of limits and need adjusting.
>>>
>>> Anyone have any ideas about this?
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> John
>>>
>>
>
