Date: 11 Apr 95 16:44:07 EDT
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Jon Peters/UB Networks <Jon_Peters@UB.com>
Subject: RE: 90 Vanagon Carb Icing
Herb,
What you have just described is the ESD problem that most of us have had with
the airflow control harness (Joel, correct me if I'm wrong here)!! The
retrofit is a neat little one foot adapter/harness (that is supposed to
eliminate the ESD problem) which costs a mere $125.00US!! through the
dealer.... IMHO, I doubt very seriously that there's any possibility of there
ever being intake icing (throttle body included) on these motors....
Jon
"Carb Icing" on a 90 Vanagon
Joel requested that I explain the problem. At about 30K miles while driving on
the interstate the van began to miss and continued to lose power until it was
not able to make over 25-30mph. The weather was cool, 30F and it was raining.
About the only thing I could figure was that there was something like carb icing
going on in an injected engine. I pulled off and waited about 3 minutes and
started up and the engine ran fine for about 40 miles and then the same problem.
Stop and wait and then OK again!
Having driven old vans with carbs and had icing as well as old cars with the
same problem, I was really stumped. (I assume you folks in California understand
carb icing.)
A week later on my 215 mile run home with about the same weather conditions, the
same thing happened.
Checked with the local dealer without success.
Having made the acquaintance of the regional service rep at the local car show,
I called him and he told me they knew about the problem and had worked over a
year to find the solution and that it nearly drove them crazy. Turned out it has
something to do with the engine wiring. There was a small change in the
resistance of a circuit with certain ambient weather conditions and that screwed
up the engine.
My son, a Ford engineer, suggests they used cheap contact materials somewhere
that corroded and got wet.
Anyway, VW was happy to replace the entire harness at no charge. They did it
under the pollution law that requires good exhaust up to 50k. The car has run
beautifully since.
Herb
Herb Harmison
Director IT Placement
50 Lind Hall
207 Church St. SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
612-625-8869 Phone
612-626-0261 Fax
Herb Harmison
Director IT Placement
50 Lind Hall
207 Church St. SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
612-625-8869 Phone
612-626-0261 Fax