Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2014 12:26:40 -0500
Reply-To: "kenneth wilford (Van-Again)" <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "kenneth wilford (Van-Again)" <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: '88 GL ignition miss, stalling
In-Reply-To: <20140210141253.ba2d9648c4914d5f56715942772a6035.c49acb7184.wbe@email02.secureserver.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Greg, it could be the ECU as they are known for intermittently conking out.
I would also suspect the coil or the wiring on the coil. Does it seem to
happen at a certain temperature or when driving over bumps? Check the
black wires on the coil and let me know what you find. If you are in doubt
replace the wire ends as they can get corroded or fatigue over time and
make an intermittent connection. When you lose connection it will feel
like someone just shut the engine off and the tach will drop.
On Mon, Feb 10, 2014 at 4:12 PM, Gregory Smith <gfs@gregoryfsmith.com>wrote:
> Hi fellow listers,
>
> I've been struggling to fix an intermittent ignition miss on my '88 GL.
> It started several months ago, came on gradually. At first I could feel
> it, then I noticed the tach dropping out when it happened. Eventually it
> would stall and restart, sometimes causing a backfire.
>
> Initially I suspected the ignition, so I did a full tune-up parts
> replacement. Plugs, cap, rotor, wires. Thought it was fixed but it came
> back in a day or two. I ran the Bentley tests. Eventually I decided that
> the hall effect sensor was bad, it had a loose socket anyway. I replaced
> that with one from another distributor and while I was at it replaced the
> business end of the wire harness as well as the ground wire at that end,
> they were all corroded and had bad insulation. Also replaced the ignition
> switch electrical part.
>
> This seemed to fix it for exactly 2 months. Then it started again. I
> ordered a new hall sensor and replaced it this past weekend. Ran the
> Bentley tests again, everything checks out. The problem was gone for 1
> day, came back this morning.
>
> I'm left with the ECU, like possibly cracked solder joints or something
> like that, or possibly the power wire to the ECU from the alternator. I
> read about this on the Samba, someone found this wire frayed inside the
> insulation, under the AFM. I'll check on this today.
>
> Another thing that sometimes occurs that may be related, but is not
> synchronized with this problem is sometimes while driving the seatbelt
> warning light will come one and go back out (I think it's on a timer).
>
> Ideas welcome, and thanks.
>
> Gregory Smith
> Olympia WA, USA
> '88 Vanagon GL
>
>
--
Thanks,
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com
|