Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2014 19:09:13 -0700
Reply-To: Alistair Bell <albell@SHAW.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Alistair Bell <albell@SHAW.CA>
Subject: Re: 88 GL - Failure to Start - It's Back!!!!!!!!
In-Reply-To: <539CF8AD.9040200@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
If I were you, and god knows I've been guilty of jumping to conclusions too, I would do the tests outlined in the Bentley manual. The tests where you measure at the ecu harness. Compare the readings ( temp II, air intake temp, etc etc) with the acceptable values listed in Bentley. Test the ecu and fuel pump relays as per Bentley.
Do it exactly according to procedure outlined, don't slop or assume. In these situations of intermittent fault, you have to be methodical. I can't stress that enough. Even of you don't find your problem this way, you at least can be certain what you test is checking out ok.
The temp II sender you wonder about should be tested before you replace it. How do you knwo it is faulty? A guess, a hunch? That sometimes works but really, do all the tests described in the manual.
And don't forget my experience with the ignition switch. Aged it a few weeks back and you did have a chuckle about it. That faulty switch had me fooled for a long time. I finally caught it by measuring at the coil, but that was lucky, I caught it when it was malfunctioning.
Do all the tests, don't skip.
Alistair
> On Jun 14, 2014, at 6:36 PM, JRodgers <jrodgers113@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>
> I have a Gremlin living in my van! I just know it!!
>
> After all the trouble over the last few weeks with the failure to start
> bit - I though the issue resolved when I swapped in another coil. Not
> so! It started perfectly every time for 9 days straight. But today it
> will not start.
>
> It acts a bit like fuel starvation. Turn the key to aux - wait until the
> door/key tone ends, turn to start. At this point - it will either sit
> there and grind, grind, grind -OR - it fire up with a big varrooom then
> run just a few seconds, then quit - as if starved of fuel. Kinda like
> when you might give it a shot of starting ether - it catches, runs a few
> seconds until the ether is burned up - then it quits.
>
> I did a fuel pressure test and it was good - in the 30's psi range. I
> also did a start test with the gauge connected - there was no change. I
> did to a coil/computer control check, just in case. and got a good coil
> spark and I could hear the injectors pulse. I did not, however - pull
> the injectors to actually observe their spraying. That is for tomorrow
> in good light, unless someone has some good ideas.
>
> I will be putting in a new Temp II sensor tomorrow. The Digifant Service
> Manual says that for any no start situation - the Temp II sensor is
> always suspect.
>
> Anybody got any ideas? I'll sure listen!!
>
> Thanks,
>
> John
| 
