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Date:         Mon, 1 Dec 2014 17:38:07 -0800
Reply-To:     Steve Williams <sbw@SBW.ORG>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Steve Williams <sbw@SBW.ORG>
Subject:      Re: Won't Start in St. Helena, Napa County
In-Reply-To:  <547D094F.1000600@turbovans.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

On 12/1/2014 4:35 PM, SDF ( aka ;jim lahey' - Scott ) wrote: > It's not hard to check for spark out of the coil... > was there any ?

It's not hard if you have someone to turn the key while you watch for spark. I did not have anyone to help me, and the locals jogging by already were giving me the stink-eye. (Last time I was here, the police chief--I kid you not--stopped by to tell my relatives it's illegal to plug in the van parked on the street. So they cleared a spot inside the fence for me, but I had to roll the van out onto the street to work on it. Never mind there's an Airstream a flew blocks away plugged in. I guess only Vanagons are covered by the no-plugging-in law.)

Today, after replacing the coil, one of my relatives was available to turn the key, and, yes, there is spark now.

Anyway, the coil was old and failed Dennis's informal resistance test, so I'm happy to have a new one. And the rotor had a lot of pitting, so good to replace it.

> lacking a NOID light .. > remove that one 10mm head screw so you can hang both injectors on one > side out of the engine .. > so you can watch them spray.

Yeah, you're right. But there was only so far I was willing to go working in the rain. Next time, I promise.

Now it's at the shop, where they can use a NOID light, while I get back to my paying work.

> ... say ..it's cold ..it gets flooded .. > say the spark plug gaps are huge and the plugs should have been replaced > long ago .. > it won't start do to > fouled/flooded spark plugs.

That's where the shop is now. They ran out of time today, but they'll pull the spark plugs tomorrow.

> Was even one spark plug examined ? > I suspect not, hope I'm wrong about that.

Again, my bad, more than I wanted to do in the rain with the locals giving me the stink-eye.

You great folks on this list are helping me learn diagnostic stuff I've known since my teen years driving the '67 Beetle around the country, but never had to do it with the Vanagon. I'm glad this happened here, where I have a place to stay, and at a time I can work remotely. And I'm glad I'm learning from you all and the folks at the shop. Next time will be easier for me, and I'm grateful to you all for that.


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