Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2016 10:10:45 -0500
Reply-To: John Rodgers <jrodgers113@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <jrodgers113@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Vanagon Ownership Misadventures
In-Reply-To: <CA+az7_5sXSkq2bb2GHjS6TbaTnGTE3m9r8js2kqQ_9sJ+YUGiQ@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
For those following my ownership misadventures - I finally got a newly
rebuilt tansmission installed and a new clutch - only to immediately have a
severe oil leak appear. This leak I could not repair myself, so off to the
local guru shop for fix'in. Turned out to be a ruptured oil pump seal.
Small wonder there was so much oil.
After the repair, I picked up the van at the shop and started home. I was
on a county road, and stopped at a service station to check the oil and
water. I pulled out on I-20 from Atlanta to B'ham, went a quarter of a
mile when suddenly the alternator light and oil pressure buzzer and light
came on. WTH????
I quickly turned off the engine, turned on the flashers, and coasted to the
side of the road. By the time I stopped I already had my suspicions
As suspected from the sudden appearance at speed of the alternator light
and oil pressure light and sounding of the buzzer, the alternator/coolant
pump belt had failed.
I checked under the back seat for my spare belt, found it and pulled it
out. BUT - sitting there in the growing darkness - I had a problem created
by my own hand!! My tool box was sitting in the garage at home. I didn't
have tool one in the van. I learned long ago that if you own a vanagon, you
don't go anywhere without a box of tools. I had taken everything including
the toolbox out of the van and had the van tranported by AAA to the shop.
When I went to pick the van up, being only a short drive, I FAILED to take
the tool box with me. So there I was, on the side of I-20, in the dark, a
continous stream of tractor-trailer rigs whizzing by me at 6-8 feet away,
with spare part - and no tools!!
My best bet was to call Jim Connell, of Jim's Aircooled VW, help. He had, I
learned, gone home sick earlier in the day. But, he called on his grandson
to come to my rescue. In about 20 minutes the lad showed up in a supremely
tricked out Jeep, with approriated tools. He got right on it and had the
new belt on in just a few minutes.
I started the engine, and he checked it and all seemd well, and buttoned it
up. As I pulled away, I went 25 ft. And the oil pressure warning light and
horn came on. Once again, I stopped on the side of I-20.
Jim's grandson pulled up behind me. I told him what happened and he
immediately reached dowm and felt for the oil pressure switch wire, found
it disconnected from the switch, and reconnected it. Problem solved. Turns
out when that particular belt fails, it will knock that wire loose almost
every time.
Again, down the road. This time I made it home with no problem. I now have
Vanagon wheels on which to ride.
Durst I ask - what next?
John
|