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Date:         Sun, 1 Oct 2017 17:42:33 -0400
Reply-To:     Bruno Walser <bruno.walser@COMCAST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Bruno Walser <bruno.walser@COMCAST.NET>
Subject:      Engine running badly
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

My wife and I just came back form a 2000 mile trip to NovaScotia, Prince Edward Islands and to the Madeleine Islands. On our way up, in Maine intermittently the car would start to jerk/hesitate. This happened not only at high speeds. It was not the "Vanagon syndrome". I disconnected the oxygen sensor and things got better. So I got a new oxygen sensor installed in Nova Scotia. Car seems to be running ok again, although it felt just a it off. Then on our way home the hickups came back and it started to get worse. On the border crossing back into the US, I barely made it through customs. The car would still idle normally, but would choke as soon as I opened the throttle. By reving the engine and use of the clutch I was able to get the car up to speed so we could keep going. We made it back to New Hampshire but barely made up to hill to our house. Yesterday I tried to figure out the problem. Now the engine wouldn't even start. I took the spark plugs out. They were completely fouled. I installed new ones. The engine starts up and idles normally, but again it seems to hesitate and jerk and lower RPM's and low load. I disconnected the oxygen sensor again and things seem to be a bit better. I checked timing, temperature sensor, throttle switch, compression, all seems to be ok.

I assume the spare plugs fouled up because the engine was running too rich. But why? Could it be that the oxygen sensor got damaged again on our way home? If so, why?

BTW, I failed to mention that the engine developed a head gasket leak, but it seem still small (barley lost any coolant on our trip). I was told that the leak should not cause any running issues, at least as long as it doesn't become a more serious leak.

Any help or tips what I should check are greatly appreciated.

Bruno 86 Vanagon Westy, 2.1 WBXwith Digifant


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