Date:         Thu, 25 Aug 94 15:52:49 CDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Joel Walker <JWALKER@ua1vm.ua.edu>
Subject:      Re: Hesitation at low RPM

On Thu, 25 Aug 94 14:45:03 CDT Jim Macklow said:
>My '87 Syncro still has the following problem:  ...
>For the FI experts out there:  Is this an indication that my computer
>is/has gone bad?  Or is there some sensor that the computer ignores
>in the first 30-60 seconds that is bad?
>This behavior is fairly consistent, whether the engine is cold or
>warm.  I seem to have a longer reprieve from the low-power demon on
>cool, cloudy mornings.

i'd bet on the coolant temp sensor. just replace it. don't check it. mine
all tested 'good'. finally, when i got disgusted and started just replacing
parts, when i replaced it, the problem was 'solved'. i still don't know why
it does that, but it has done it twice.

it could also be the oxygen sensor.

the way the behavior of the engine was explained to me was that if the
computer gets confused by null readings or out-of-whack readings from any
of its sensors, it (the computer) goes into Limp-Home mode, which doesn't
give you much power, but it keeps the car running.

and the coolant temp sensors just 'go bad', i guess. or maybe my car just
wants some 'attention' ... beats the heck outa me. probably it's a bad ground
somewhere back there that i haven't found (like engine to chassis).

joel